Exploring the Primacy of Cultural Strengths for Purposeful (Agri)cultural STEM Learning in a Mexican Immigrant Community

Linnea K. Beckett, Samuel Severance, Michelle Hernandez, Alyssa Najera, Juan Pacheco

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

This study examines how the purposes and values Mexican immigrant families bring into a community garden space can serve as cultural strengths and facilitate opportunities for rich STEM learning. Taking place at a school-based community garden in the western US within the context of a long-term community-university partnership, researchers in this study engaged in qualitative ethnographic data collection with 20 gardeners and families over the course of nine months. Utilizing sociocultural perspectives, chiefly CHAT and the notion of a “third space, ” researchers analyzed semi-structured interviews, field notes of garden walks and community events, and self-documentation materials submitted by participants. Findings include (1) the identification of the concepts distraer (“to distract”) and conectar (“to connect”) as cultural strengths and the drivers of valued activity in the garden and (2) the effectiveness of these concepts in fostering families' engagement with natural phenomena and STEM practices.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationISLS Annual Meeting 2023
Subtitle of host publicationBuilding Knowledge and Sustaining our Community - 17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2023, Proceedings
EditorsPaulo Blikstein, Jan Van Aalst, Rita Kizito, Karen Brennan
PublisherInternational Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS)
Pages569-576
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781737330677
StatePublished - 2023
Event17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2023 - Montreal, Canada
Duration: Jun 10 2023Jun 15 2023

Publication series

NameComputer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL
ISSN (Print)1573-4552

Conference

Conference17th International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS 2023
Country/TerritoryCanada
CityMontreal
Period6/10/236/15/23

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Education

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