Why context matters for science educators

Paulina Guerrero Gutiérrez, PhD student at the School of Education, Communication & Society at King's College London, has contributed to a major new book on science education, the result of a year-long collaboration between education experts from Mexico and the UK.

The Handbook of Research on Driving STEM Learning With Educational Technologies is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly research on the implementation and use of different techniques of instruction in modern classroom settings. Featuring exhaustive coverage on a variety of topics including data literacy, student motivation, and computer-aided assessment, this resource is designed for academicians, researchers, and professionals seeking current research on emerging uses of technology for STEM education.

Paulina Guerrero Gutiérrez said "In my chapter I give an example of how science can be taught in diverse settings, without ignoring the context of the learner. Instead, I used the sociocultural context of two indigenous communities in the south of Mexico as a foundation for their whole learning process. The chapter presents the process of building lessons from scratch, starting by finding out what students and teachers though, both about science and how to learn it. It follows by proposing classes that incorporate those beliefs and preconceptions into the curricular contents.

"The chapter shows that contextualization can be key for student understanding and enjoyment of science. Most importantly, it emphasises that science learning can be made situated and culturally-responsive while respecting the curriculum and without requiring additional class time.

"It was great to be involved in the production of this new handbook. I really believe it brings together an excellent collection of evidence-based guidance on how to teach science and mathematics in different levels and contexts."