Co‐creating a community of belonging and presence: Multilingual learners' experiences of science and language learning at an urban, inclusive STEM‐focused high school

Abstract

AbstractScience education reform efforts have called for teaching science to all students, yet the “Science for All” mantra has remained merely rhetoric. Given that multilingual learners continue to face inequities more broadly in the education system and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in particular, there has been renewed attention to conditions that support more equitable science learning opportunities. In this exploratory, qualitative case study, we intentionally centered the voices of ninth grade multilingual learners by examining their science experiences in a Regents Living Environment class at an urban, inclusive STEM‐focused high school (ISHS). Specifically, drawing from ecological and humanizing education theoretical perspectives, we investigated the elements of their experiences that were asset‐oriented and humanizing, which promoted a healthy science learning ecosystem, as well as the challenges that coexisted. Qualitative data analysis revealed four main themes. First, multilingual learners appreciated authentic engagement in hands‐on, science inquiry opportunities, including developing and implementing their own experiments. Students also noted feelings of joy, comfort, and belonging in their classroom environment that were supported by strong relationships and positive interactions among peers and their teachers. Moreover, students underscored the role of their teachers in intentionally co‐creating a science classroom community of belonging and excellence. There were, however, persistent challenges associated with learning science and English simultaneously, in the backdrop of a standardized English‐dominant, high‐stakes accountability context. These findings have implications for pedagogy, teacher preparation, research, and policy for a more inclusive, asset‐oriented, and humanizing science education for multilingual learners that broadens possibilities.