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认识和推理发展中的作用。这个项目建立在以前的工作，发现在科学相关的做法，如观察，假设形成和解释的文化差异。它还将设计研究扩展到本土和欧美儿童的学前教育环境，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美国原住民和（主要是）欧洲裔美国儿童。这些研究包括不同年龄的成人和儿童，并为每个样本量身定制了任务。这将实现对自然理解发展的更全面的看法。该项目是TERC、芝加哥美国印第安人中心、威斯康星州梅诺米尼部落和西北大学之间的合作努力。计划的整体目标，是将校外的非正式学习，融入学校的正式科学学习，以改善科学学习。计划采用多种方法和措施，进行三组研究。1.研究输入条件和日常环境中的学习。2.更正式的认知科学研究儿童的学习和概念组织。3.以社区为基础的设计实验侧重于科学学习。在不同的方式，这些方法中的每一个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意义。该研究项目为博士前和博士后研究学员提供了广泛的跨文化，跨学科的研究机会。美洲原住民社区的成员越来越多地参与相关项目，如PI，研究助理和研究生研究员。该项目的一个重要方面是美国土著机构的资源开发和能力建设，这项研究将对认知和概念发展理论产生重大影响，特别是那些关于儿童和成人现有知识如何受文化和经验影响的理论。它还应促进对文化习俗的广泛看法，包括与自然世界的接触、社区参与形式和亲子互动。该项目开发的课堂实践，如果成功，有很好的潜力，扩大规模和普遍性。此外，该项目将提供一个更深入的了解跨文化的相似性和差异在科学学习的发展过程。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.