Teachers Navigating Educational Systems: Reflections on the Value of Funds of Knowledge (Fundamental)

Abstract

This study focuses on how, after a series of professional development interventions and co-collaboration sessions, a group of teachers conceptualized funds of knowledge as an approach and a framework for engaging students in engineering activities. Teachers were asked to design a unit that would elicit students' funds of knowledge as they worked on activities that integrated the engineering design process. Throughout the project, we collected data from interviews, observations and field notes. The results showed that teachers acknowledged the significance of funds of knowledge as a tool for empowering and engaging students in STEAM related activities. Teachers noted that recognizing students' backgrounds was the foundation for students to see themselves as leaders, engineers and scientists. We observed that several teachers had been integrating funds of knowledge into their teaching without sometimes being aware of it. However, there were certain institutional barriers that prevented its full implementation in the curriculum. These results indicate that although teachers see the significance of funds of knowledge in engineering, the teachers and teaching practices are still embedded in a deficit-oriented educational structure that may prevent some of these changes from occurring.