ABSTRACT
Culturally responsive teaching is a pedagogy that recognises and utilises students’ cultural attributes and cultural experiences as conduits for teaching the students effectively. In Malaysia, classrooms are characterised by diversity as the students come from various cultural, racial, socio-economic and different ability backgrounds. In this chapter, we describe how the teachers in the case study built meaningful bridges between the students’ home experiences and scientific concept, as well as the reciprocal and responsive pedagogical relationships that provide meaningful responses during engagement in learning and teaching in a classroom. This chapter discusses sources of knowledge and experiences that students in the case study used in understanding scientific concepts. The discussion of culturally responsive teaching in science in Malaysia is further elaborated by discussing the challenges in implementing culturally responsive teaching. This chapter aims to present the systemic view of the challenges faced in implementing culturally responsive teaching in science teaching and learning in Malaysia that involves science teachers’ education and the science curriculum. At the end of this chapter, suggestions for the way forward in implementing culturally responsive teaching in science teaching and learning in the Malaysian context are discussed.
