Constructing difference: A comparative study of elementary science curriculum differentiation

The research described in this article was a comparative study of science c urriculum differentiation at two elementary schools that served students fr om different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Two schools in the same school district, Lake and Jefferson, were the sites for the research. Lake Elementary served a professional class and white neighborhood, but Jefferso n Elementary served students from working-class/working poor and ethnically diverse backgrounds. The teachers and students in a fifth and sixth grade classroom at each school participated in the research. Research methods dre w from ethnographic and linguistic traditions and focused on the microlevel everyday classroom interactions in which the curriculum is constructed. Th e results of the study show that the science curriculum was quite different between the two schools. The science curriculum at Lake emphasized organiz ation and control for the purpose of preparing students for traditional not ions of academic success and progress. At Jefferson, the science curriculum was constructed within an informal and conversational format in an effort to engage students in science. We suggest that it is difficult to determine if and how this curriculum differentiation might establish or enhance ineq uality in science education. Instead, we offer competing interpretations of the results that draw from current notions of best practice in the science education community. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.