Embracing Asset Perspectives in Science Education Research: A Call for Change

Abstract

This editorial urges a shift in science education research from deficit-oriented framings, which portray learners in terms of what they lack, to asset-based perspectives that recognize and build on the cultural, social, and cognitive resources learners bring. Deficit framings obscure diverse ways of knowing and reinforce systemic inequities through narrow accountability structures. Drawing on recent studies, we show how asset perspectives can reveal learners' strengths, challenge dominant norms, and support equity-focused educational change. We provide practical guidance for designing asset-framed research questions, selecting appropriate theoretical lenses, and making methodological choices that center participants' voices and contexts. Reflecting on our own prior work, we illustrate how reframing findings around existing strengths can transform both analysis and implications. By advancing research that honors learners' competencies, identities, and experiences, the field can promote inclusion, justice, and meaningful participation in science.