Incorporating culturally responsive teaching into undergraduate physics courses

Our study focuses on characterizing a culturally relevant approach to physics instruction. Physics faculty and instructors can use many methods to become culturally relevant educators. We highlight the work of physics instructors who have attempted to incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy features in their classrooms. We will describe aspects of the teachers use of culturally relevant instruction from curriculum development, teacher identity, and student. Findings show that these instructors show the strongest indicators of culturally relevant pedagogy through their willingness to address sensitive topics, consistent encouragement of students toward academic excellence, and adaptations of the curriculum to incorporate students' strengths. However, instructors still encounter challenges in the areas of pushing students towards being critical of physics knowledge and managing student epistemic agency. Findings from this research gives implications for physics instructors who wish to use culturally relevant pedagogy in their instruction.