Collaborative Research: Cultural Epistemologies and Science-related Practices: Living and Learning in Relationships

该项目的目的是研究文化在儿童对自然世界的知识和推理的发展中所起的作用。该项目建立在先前的工作基础上，这些工作发现了科学相关实践中的文化差异，如观察、假设形成和解释。它还将设计研究扩展到原住民和欧裔美国儿童的学前环境，目的是找到为幼儿设计严格的科学学习环境的方法。研究人群包括城市和农村的印第安人和（主要是）欧美儿童。研究对象包括不同年龄的成年人和儿童，并为每个样本量身定制了任务。这将使我们对自然认识的发展有一个更全面的认识。该项目是TERC、芝加哥美洲印第安人中心、威斯康辛州梅诺米尼部落和西北大学之间的合作成果。总体目标是通过将非正式的校外学习与更正式的校本科学学习结合起来，从而改善科学学习。该项目综合采用多种方法和措施，开展三套研究。1. 研究输入条件和日常环境中的学习。2. 更正式的儿童学习和概念组织的认知科学研究。3. 以社区为基础的科学学习设计实验。这些方法中的每一种都以不同的方式允许该项目进一步发展、测试和检查文化如何影响科学学习的拟议理论的教育含义。本研究项目为博士前、博士后研修生提供广泛的跨文化、跨学科的研究机会。美国原住民社区的成员越来越多地以pi、研究助理和研究生研究员的身份参与相关项目。这个项目的一个重要方面是美洲土著机构的资源开发和能力建设。这项研究应该对认知和概念发展理论，特别是那些有关儿童和成人的现有知识是如何由文化和经验形成的理论产生强烈影响。它还应该促进对文化实践的广泛看法，包括与自然世界的接触、社区形式的参与和亲子互动。该项目开发的课堂实践，如果成功，将具有极好的推广和普及潜力。此外，该项目将提供对科学学习中跨文化异同的发展过程的更深层次的理解。这将成为国家和地方努力促进美国学校入学儿童教育的重要资源，包括越来越多来自不同语言和文化背景的儿童。

The objective of this project is to examine the role of culture in the development of children's knowledge of and reasoning about the natural world. This project builds on previous work that found cultural differences in science-related practices such as observation, hypothesis formation, and explanation. It also extends design research to preschool contexts with both Native and European-American children, with the goal of finding ways to design rigorous science learning environments for young children. The study populations include both urban and rural Native-American and (mainly) European-American children. The studies include adults and children of different ages, with tasks tailored to each sample. This will achieve a more comprehensive view of the development of understandings of nature. The project is a collaborative effort between TERC, the American Indian Center of Chicago, the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin, and Northwestern University. The overall goal is to improve science learning by bringing informal, out-of-school learning to bear on more formal, school-based science learning.The project employs an integration of multiple methods and measures to conduct three sets of studies. 1. Studies of input conditions and learning in everyday contexts. 2. More formal cognitive science studies of children's learning and conceptual organization. 3. Community-based design experiments focused on science learning. In different ways, each of these methods allows the project to further develop, test, and examine the educational implications of proposed theories of how culture affects science learning. This research project offers extensive cross-cultural, cross-disciplinary research opportunities for pre- and post-doctoral research trainees. Members of Native American communities have increasingly become involved on related project as PIs, research assistants, and graduate fellows. An important aspect of this project is resource development and capacity building in Native-American institutions.This research should have strong impacts on theories of cognitive and conceptual development, especially those pertaining to how children's and adults' existing knowledge is shaped by culture and experience. It should also promote an expansive view of cultural practices, including contact with the natural world, community forms of engagement, and parent-child interactions. The project develops classroom practices that, if successful, have excellent potential for scaling up and generality. Moreover, this project will provide a deeper understanding of the developmental processes underlying cross-cultural similarities and differences in science learning. This will serve as an essential resource in national and local efforts to advance the education of children enrolled in US schools, including the increasing number of children from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.