Improving STEM Education through Resource Activation: A Study of Culturally Relevant Teaching for Critical Data Literacy in a High School Science Classroom

Interest in promoting data literacy among K-12 students has grown, driven by the need to cultivate skills in using data effectively across various fields of study. Integrating discipline-specific curricula, like bioinformatics, which merges biology and informatics, can broaden student engagement in STEM. While earlier efforts focused on technical data skills, recent research emphasizes a sociocultural approach to encourage critical data literacy, aligning with culturally relevant teaching (CRT). This study investigates a teacher's instructional practices for CRT in prompting critical data literacy. We used a resource activation framework that aims to explore the ways in which a teacher utilized material resources (tangible objects and tools), cultural resources (knowledge and skills), social resources (interactions and relationships), and symbolic resources (recognition and prestige). We worked with a science teacher, Tracy, who activated resources to adapt and teach a bioinformatics problem-based learning curriculum rooted in real-world problem-solving in STEM, connecting students with community issues, such as asthma and air quality. We deductively analyzed classroom observation notes, interviews, and recordings of the professional development workshop sessions. We found that during the curriculum implementation, Tracy activated cultural and social resources to enable access to other resources that were not readily available. Our findings suggest that the activation of cultural and social resources concurrently allowed the teacher to address diverse student needs, foster relevance and engagement, collaborate with colleagues, and continuously enhance their teaching practices. Ultimately, activating all four resources empowers teachers to provide high-quality instruction, leading to improved overall STEM education.