An Activity Theory Analysis of African American Students’ Motives and Goals for Participating in Advanced Placement Science
Location
Room 218
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Round Table
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative research is two-fold. First, we intend to gain deeper understandings of African American students’ motivational orientations for participating in AP science and how they align their personal motives and goals with meaningful practices within the AP learning context. Second, we offer an opportunity for science educators to re-conceptualize AP science learning from an activity theory perspective. The primary site of this study was a rural public high school located in the southeast United States. The main form of data collection was a series of in-depth, one-to-one interviews (about 1.5 hours each) spread over a semester. Classroom observational data are also collected to substantiate the interviews. The preliminary results based on three African American students, one male and two females, confirmed that the alignment of motives and goals with coping strategies within the AP learning context is crucial to the realization of goals. The outcome of the course could be described as “compromised realization of goals,” as the three African American students modified their original goals to make compromises with the reality in their learning environment. Specific implications of this study for research and practices in AP science are discussed.
Keywords
Advanced Placement, Science education, Secondary education, African Americans, Cultural issues
Recommended Citation
Skinner, Felicia and Kang, Rui, "An Activity Theory Analysis of African American Students’ Motives and Goals for Participating in Advanced Placement Science" (2014). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 70.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2014/2014/70
An Activity Theory Analysis of African American Students’ Motives and Goals for Participating in Advanced Placement Science
Room 218
The purpose of this qualitative research is two-fold. First, we intend to gain deeper understandings of African American students’ motivational orientations for participating in AP science and how they align their personal motives and goals with meaningful practices within the AP learning context. Second, we offer an opportunity for science educators to re-conceptualize AP science learning from an activity theory perspective. The primary site of this study was a rural public high school located in the southeast United States. The main form of data collection was a series of in-depth, one-to-one interviews (about 1.5 hours each) spread over a semester. Classroom observational data are also collected to substantiate the interviews. The preliminary results based on three African American students, one male and two females, confirmed that the alignment of motives and goals with coping strategies within the AP learning context is crucial to the realization of goals. The outcome of the course could be described as “compromised realization of goals,” as the three African American students modified their original goals to make compromises with the reality in their learning environment. Specific implications of this study for research and practices in AP science are discussed.
