The role of place in science learning among urban middle school students: science as a context and tool

An important conundrum that the science education community faces is "why is it so difficult to bridge everyday science with school science?" Drawing upon sociocultural perspectives on learning and critical ethnographic research methods, we examine students’ changing participation within middle school learning science. Our findings reveal the importance of "place" in how and why these youth pursue science learning. We argue that one way in which place shapes their learning is in how the youth take up science as both a context and a tool for change. We look at two interrelated kinds of changes within the classroom: crafting new forms of participation and new points on entry into the science learning community, and redefining the purpose of science activity. We also argue these instantiations of place in learning serve to connect the worlds of youth with the worlds of school science.