| Science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE) education is both a part of the mandated science curriculum in Ontario schools and also a philosophical and theoretical positioning for a science teacher. The study seeks to understand how biology curriculum can be developed that is inclusive of a diverse student body with special attention to STSE education as a vehicle for integration with issues of social justice. Participants were provided with opportunities to explore their understanding of STSE education, their role and identification as teachers, and how they meet student needs, in relation to the curriculum development process. The research then is a confluence of three areas: inclusive curriculum, STSE/social justice, and teacher identification.;This qualitative study uses individual interviews, group meetings, and participant action research to explore, how teachers, develop and implement inclusive science curriculum for a diverse student population, how science teachers understand themselves and their role, and, how teachers understand STSE/social justice perspectives and practices.;Findings showed that this is difficult work. Teachers are faced with pressures such as assessment challenges inherent in STSE education, student attitudes related to what science teaching is, and personal and contextual barriers that influence curriculum development and implementation, teaching content and issues, as well as the action research cycle in general. Teacher development of a personal critical theory of teaching and understanding of the political, historical, and sociological context of teacher work is an ongoing question from this research. Findings may have impact on how teachers see themselves and understand their role, how they approach issues in their teaching, how they understand teaching as a political act, and how they use social justice issues as one part of an STSE-informed approach to more inclusive science teaching. |
