Beyond the Formula: Exploring Cultural Epistemologies in Physics Learning

Physics education has historically faced challenges in engaging students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Traditional approaches often emphasize abstract mathematics and decontextualized problem-solving, disconnecting student's experiences from the curriculum. In contrast, research on culturally based pedagogies (CBP) underscores the value of incorporating students' cultural knowledge, ways of knowing, and sensemaking practices to foster more inclusive and resonant learning environments. Our study explores how students in introductory physics courses draw on their cultural resources and epistemologies to make sense of core physics ideas. We designed and piloted culturally based assessments across three universities to better understand this process. In this presentation, we will share the curriculum materials, qualitative coding frameworks, as well as preliminary findings from students' responses. By examining how cultural backgrounds influence students' engagement with physics, our work offers insights into how the discipline can evolve to reflect and respect diverse lived experiences and knowledge systems.