Building enacted science curricula on the capital of learners

The study examines how social and cultural factors mediate the teaching and learning of science in an Australian high school. Grade 10 students, many of them new migrants, often transient and from circumstances of economic hardship, were taught a 5-week unit on chemistry by a teacher with social and cultural histories similar to those of most of her students. Structures that framed the enacted curriculum included the provision of well-equipped laboratories and supplies, and the teacher's emphasis on students building positive emotional energy, communities of learners, and science-related identities associated with success and interest in science. The teacher taught in ways that encouraged students to participate and succeed in learning science facts and concepts, experiencing science as relevant to everyday life, exploring significant social issues, and accurately following procedures to complete labs. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 89:577 - 594, 2005.