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Cultural Studies of Science Education

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01-09-2012

Using symbolic interactionism to analyze a specialized STEM high school teacher’s experience in curriculum reform

Authors: Tang Wee Teo, Margery Osborne

Published in: Cultural Studies of Science Education | Issue 3/2012

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Abstract

In this paper, we present a microanalysis of a specialized STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) high school teacher’s experience of self-initiated science inquiry curriculum reform. We examine the meanings of these two constructs: inquiry curriculum and curriculum change through the process lens of interactions, actions, and interpretations. Symbolic interactionism is the theoretical framework we used to frame our analysis of how this teacher, Darren Daley (a pseudonym) and various stakeholders purposefully and strategically engaged in “face-work” and act out lines of actions to advocate or oppose curriculum change. Symbols are used in this world of face-to-face encounters to communicate, imply, and assert, meanings through socially flexible and adjustable processes. We scrutinize how Daley (un)consciously engaged all of these to defend his decisions, actions, and outcomes and “look” to others as doing inquiry reform. The meanings of such work are not intrinsically driven or reactions to psychological and extraneous factors and forces, but emergent through interactions. The data collection methods include interviews with Daley, school administrators, students, and parents, lesson observations in Daley’s class, and gathering of school website pages, brochures, and curriculum materials. We represent data in narratives describing storied history, voices, interactions, anecdotal accounts from individuals’ experiences, and interpretations. The analysis and findings illuminate the nature of teacher agency—how it is reclaimed, sustained, reinforced, contested, exercised, and modified in more nuanced ways, hence offering an alternative lens to theorizing and empirically analyzing this construct.

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51.5% male, 48.5% female—40.5% White or Non-Hispanics, 40.8% Asian/Pacific Islander, 8.3% African American, 5.3% Hispanic/Latino, 2.5% Multiracial; and 2.5% other ethnicities (Innova Academy Quick Facts brochure, October 2009). In addition to mathematics and science, the courses offered include English literature, film studies, gender studies, history, art, microeconomics, and foreign languages.

In 2009, the average scores of various college entrance examinations of Innova Academy tenth graders were: 31.5 for ACT (American College Testing, state average was 20.8), 666 for SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) Critical reading (national average was college-bound seniors was 501), 721 for SAT Math (national average was 515), and 663 for SAT Writing (national average was 493). The 2008–2009 AP Chemistry score taken by 128 students was 3.01 (maximum score of 5).

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Title: Using symbolic interactionism to analyze a specialized STEM high school teacher’s experience in curriculum reform
Authors: Tang Wee Teo
Margery Osborne
Publication date: 01-09-2012
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Cultural Studies of Science Education / Issue 3/2012
Print ISSN: 1871-1502
Electronic ISSN: 1871-1510
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-011-9364-0

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