ABSTRACT
Though my research and teaching agenda are also highly influenced by advancements in multicultural education and social constructivism, as a Latino committed to science education and social justice issues, I have struggled with the disconnection between these two fields of study. In other words, multicultural education is a theory of social justice that seeks to raise our awareness about equity issues, but it provides little guidance on how to implement the multiple social and institutional changes needed to help all students have access to an equitable and socially relevant education. On the other hand, social constructivism is a theory of learning that helps us understand how learning is socially constructed and mediated, but it provides little guidance on how to raise the awareness of teachers and learners so that they can use the newly constructed knowledge toward more socially transformative goals.
