The Sociocultural Turn in Science Education and Its Transformative Potential

Abstract

The sociocultural turn in science education was immersed in mainstream logics and practices that emphasized positivism and psychological models. I describe my evolution toward the use of sociocultural theory in science education in terms of dialectics, knowing as cultural enactment, culture being experienced as patterns having thin coherence and ever-present contradictions, the salience of agency and passivity, and the centrality of theoretical generalizability. The methodologies I present as part of a multilogical approach to research include interpretive inquiry, authentic inquiry, and event oriented inquiry. Breathing meditation and mindfulness heuristics are presented as examples of a longitudinal, multilevel research program on expressed emotions and mindfulness in science classrooms. Finally, through the use of Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ) I illustrate how new frameworks lead to new priorities for research and practice; in this case revealing how touches and holds on the body are used to address disharmonies that arise in the body during social interactions. I identify additional research possibilities using JSJ to address wellness and sustainability as priorities for a transformative agenda for research in science education.