Effectiveness of Culturally-Responsive Science Teaching (CReST) At Home

Effectiveness of Culturally-Responsive Science Teaching (CReST) At Home: A Workshop for Parents of Cultureally and Linguistically Diverse Children

As elementary classrooms become increasingly diverse, science achievement gaps between minority and mainstream children are a great concern and must be reduced. Previous studies supported that culturally responsive instructional models provide culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children equitable science learning environments. To maximize the CLD children’ learning, home and school environments should connect and parents need to play a role not only in communicating and receiving information, but also in shaping the thinking process of their children. This study is designed to develop a workshop for parents of CLD children, Culturally-Responsive Science Teaching (CReST) at Home, and measure its effects on the parents’ understanding science, integrating science with culture, and improving confidence of teaching science at home. The data collected from the survey completed with the parents at the end of the workshop held in North Texas resulted that the CReST at Home expanded educational opportunities for, and improve academic attainment of the parents of the CLD children in science and multicultural education at home.