Universalizing science literacy: How to transcend deficit models of teaching and learning

Authors

  • Tara Brabazon Flinders University
  • Jamie Quinton Massey University
  • Narelle Hunter Flinders University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33830/ijrse.v5i2.1224

Keywords:

Disciplinary literacy, Universal design, Deficit model of teaching and learning, Abundance model of teaching and learning, STEM education, Student success, Disability Studies, Enabling university

Abstract

Student attrition figures are a hidden metric in universities.  They signify institutional failure, inhibit branding and marketing campaigns, and displace blame onto individual students. Behind the thousands of cases of attrition are individual stories of shame, guilt, failure, confusion, and lost future hopes and aspirations. This article explores how students' in and through their diversity - can be supported to succeed. Critiquing the deficit model of teaching and learning and deploying both universal design and the abundance model of teaching and learning, this article provides new strategies for student success. We offer innovative methodologies to understand and enable productive pathways by students through a curriculum. The goal is to enhance and enliven science education and demonstrate the gift and power of well-qualified university academics aligning innovative research and teaching.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alber, T. (2013). Tools for teaching: ditching the deficit model. Edutopia, April 2: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-tool-ditching-deficit-model-rebecca-alber

Aronowitz, S. (2000). The Knowledge Factory: Dismantling the Corporate University and Creating True Higher Learning. Boston: Beacon Press.

Barnes, D. (2007). Disability, higher education and the inclusive society. British Journal of Sociology of Education. 28.1: 135-145

Bath, D., Smith, C., Stein, S., & Swann, R. (2004). Beyond mapping and embedding graduate attributes: bringing together quality assurance and action learning to create a validated and living curriculum. Higher Education Research & Development, 23(3), 313-328.

Ben-Moshe, L., Cory, R., Feldbaum, M. and Sagendorf, K. (2005) Building pedagogical curb cuts: Incorporating disability into the university classroom and curriculum. Syracuse: Syracuse University Graduate School.

Betts, M. and Rosemann, M. (2023). The New Learning Economy: Thriving beyond higher education. London. Routledge.

Bheekie, A., & van Huyssteen, M. (2015). Be mindful of your discomfort: An approach to contextualized learning. The International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 3(1).

Brabazon, T. (2002). Digital hemlock: Internet education and the poisoning of teaching. UNSW Press.

Brabazon, T. (2008). The University of Google: Education in the (post) information age. Ashgate.

Brabazon, T. (2013). Digital Dieting. Ashgate.

Brabazon, T. (2015). Enabling university: Impairment, (dis) ability and social justice in higher education. Springer.

Brabazon, T. (2016). Don't fear the reaper? The Zombie University and eating braaaains. KOME: An International Journal of Pure Communication Inquiry, 4(2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.17646/KOME.2016.21

Brabazon, T. (2021). The front stage of leadership? Vice chancellor profiles and the performance of self. International Journal of Social Sciences & Education Studies, 8(4), 36-65. https://doi.org/10.23918/ijsses.v8i4p36

Brown, B. (2016). Brené Brown encourages educators to normalize the discomfort of learning and reframe failure as learning. About Campus, 20(6), 3-7.

Burge, M. (2022) Former University of New England vice-chancellor pleads not guilty to assault charge. Guardian. September 26. https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/26/former-university-of-new-england-vice-chancellor-pleads-not-guilty-to-assault-charge?fbclid =IwAR0DMudA0fwQezpTtlCpnHA2cpiJoVdZbyAE9x0xCw52WZ2nZ40GINFueWg

Chandler, D. and Reid, J. (2016). The neoliberal subject: resilience, adaptation and vulnerability. London: Rowman and Littlefield.

Collins, J. (1998). Language and class in minority education. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 19(4): 299-326.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (2006). United Nations. http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml

De la Harpe, B., & David, C. (2012). Major influences on the teaching and assessment of graduate attributes. Higher Education Research & Development, 31(4), 493-510.

Douse, M., & Uys, P. (2018). Educational Planning in the Age of Digitisation. Educational Planning, 25(2), 7-23.

Dudley-Marling, C. (2007). Return of the deficit. Journal of Educational Controversy, 2(1): https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com.au/&httpsredir=1&article=1028&context=jec,

Efklides, A. (2006). Metacognition and affect: What can metacognitive experiences tell us about the learning process? Educational Research Review, 1(1), 3-14.

Fatunde, T. (2015). Controversy over criteria to appoint Vice Chancellors. University World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20151005162717965

Ferns, S. (2012, 29 October - 2 November). Graduate Employability: Teaching Staff, employer and graduate perceptions Australian Collaborative Education Network National Conference, Deakin University, Geelong.

García-Peñalvo, F. J., García-Holgado, A., Dominguez, A., & Pascual, J. (2022). Women in STEM in Higher Education: Good Practices of Attraction, Access and Retention in Higher Education. Springer.

Gorski, P. (2009). What we're teaching teachers: an analysis of multicultural teacher education coursework syllabi. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(2): 309-318

Gorski, P. (2010). Unlearning deficit ideology and the scornful gaze: thoughts on authenticating the class discourse in education, Education Change: http://www.edchange.org/publications/deficit-ideology-scornful-gaze.pdf

Graham, S. (2000). Should the natural learning approach replace spelling instruction? Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(2), 235.

Graham, S., & Hebert, M. (2011). Writing to read: A meta-analysis of the impact of writing and writing instruction on reading. Harvard educational review, 81(4), 710-744.

Greece, J. A., Dejong, W., Gorenstein Schonfeld, J., Sun, M., & McGrath, D. (2019). Practice-Based Teaching and Public Health Training: Bringing Real-World Projects to the Classroom to Teach Intervention Planning and Communication Strategies. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 5(1), 55-61. https://doi.org/10.1177/2373379918760929

Hand, B. (2017). Exploring the role of writing in science: a 25-year journey. (Report). Literacy Learning: The Middle Years, 25(3), 16.

Harland, T. (2017). Professional learning for academics and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Harris, A. (2016). Integrating written communication skills: working towards a whole of course approach. Teaching in Higher Education, 21(3), 287-300.

Harry, B. and Klingner, J. (2007). Discarding the deficit mode. Educational Leadership, 64(5): http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb07/vol64/num05/Discarding-the-Deficit-Model.aspx

Hawkins, B., & Wilson, B. (2017). A Fresh Theoretical Perspective on Practice-Led Research. International journal of art & design education, 36(1), 82-91.

Heimlich, J. E. (2019). Queering STEM learningscapes. In STEM of Desire (pp. 161-176). Brill.

Herrando-Pérez, S., Bradshaw, C. J., Lewandowsky, S., & Vieites, D. R. (2019). Statistical language backs conservatism in climate-change assessments. BioScience, 69(3), 209-219.

ICAC. (2020). ICAC Statement about an investigation: Misconduct by the vice-chancellor of the University of Adelaide. Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). https://www.icac.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/370715/ICAC_Statement_About_an_Investigation-University_of_Adelaide.pdf

Jaidev, R., & Chan, P. (2018). Embedding communication in the disciplines: a tale of two faculties. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 12(3), 199-211.

Kohen, Z., Herscovitz, O., & Dori, Y. J. (2020). How to promote chemical literacy? On-line question posing and communicating with scientists. Chemistry Education Research and Practice.

Koo, D., & Miner, K. (2010). Outcome-Based Workforce Development and Education in Public Health. Annu. Rev. Public Health, 31(1), 253-269. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.012809.103705

Research in STEM Education (IJRSE), 4(2), 18–38. Lombardi, J. (2016). The deficit model is harming your students. Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/deficit-model-is-harming-students-janice-lombardi

Mace, R. L. (1998). universal design in Housing. Assistive Technology, 10(1), 21-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.1998.10131957

Main, D., Weeks, C., Buller, H., MacAllister, L., & van Dijk, L. (2017). Learning from the experts: innovation within practice-led collaborative networks in the laying hen sector. Xth European Symposium on Poultry Welfare,

Marcos, C. (2022). "New York University Professor fired after students say his class was too hard. The Guardian,

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/06/nyu-professor-fired-maitland-jones-jr-student-petition

Massimi, M. and McCoy, C. (2020). Understanding Perspectivism: scientific challenges and methodological prospects. New York. Routledge.

Mcmillan, T. (2022). At NYU students were failing organic chemistry. Who is to blame? New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/nyu-organic-chemistry-petition.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article

Mcnamee, M., Fleming, S., Shire, J., Jones, D., McNamee, M., & Pill, A. (2004). Continuing professional development: Suggestions for effective practice. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 28(2), 165-177.

Nichols, T. (2017). The death of expertise: the campaign against established knowledge and why it matters. New York. Oxford University Press.

Norris, S. P., & Phillips, L. M. (2003). How literacy in its fundamental sense is central to scientific literacy. Science Education, 87(2), 224-240. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.10066

O'Brien, S. (2021). Mark Scott appointed as new Vice Chancellor. Honi Soit. http://honisoit.com/2021/03/mark-scott-appointed-as-new-vice-chancellor/

O'Neill, D. K., & Polman, J. L. (2004). Why educate "little scientists?" Examining the potential of practice-based scientific literacy. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(3), 234-266.

Oliver, M. (2009). Understanding disability: from theory to practice. London. Palgrave.

Permatasari, D. (2016). The role of productive struggle to enhance learning mathematics with understanding. Proceedings of 3rd International Conference on Research, Implementation and Education of Mathematics and Science,

Powell, J. (2013). From Ableism to Accessibility in the universal design University. Review of Disability Studies. 8.4: 33-44.

Roth, W.M., & Lee, S. (2016). Scientific literacy as collective praxis. Public Understanding of Science.

Segura, D., & Mohorn-Mintah, O. (2019). Reflections on Undergraduate Science Experiences: A Push to Science Teaching. In Critical Voices in Science Education Research (pp. 47-58). Springer.

Sleeter, C. (2004). Context-conscious portraits and context-blind policy. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 35(1): 132-136

Stevens, S., Mills, R., & Kuchel, L. (2019). Teaching communication in general science degrees: highly valued but missing the mark. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(8), 1163-1176. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1578861

Szostak, R. (2022). Making sense of the future. Abingdon. Routledge.

Tett, G. (2021). Anthro-Vision: A New Way to See in Business and Life. Simon and Schuster.

van Dijk, L., Buller, H., MacAllister, L., & Main, D. (2017). Facilitating practice-led co-innovation for the improvement in animal welfare. Outlook on agriculture, 46(2), 131-137.

Wilson, A., Howitt, S., Wilson, K., & Roberts, P. (2012). Academics' perceptions of the purpose of undergraduate research experiences in a research-intensive degree. Studies in Higher Education, 37(5), 513-526.

Wrenn, J., & Wrenn, B. (2009). Enhancing learning by integrating theory and practice. International Journal of Teaching and learning in higher education, 21(2), 258-265.

Downloads

Published

2023-11-11

How to Cite

Brabazon, T., Quinton, J., & Hunter, N. (2023). Universalizing science literacy: How to transcend deficit models of teaching and learning. International Journal of Research in STEM Education, 5(2), 61–76. https://doi.org/10.33830/ijrse.v5i2.1224

Issue

Section

Research Articles