This research project delves into how specific professional learning communities (PLCs) of physics instructors develop culture-based instructional materials to foster equitable outcomes for their students. Guided by the culturally relevant theoretical framework, we explore teachers’ equity-based approaches to curriculum development, encompassing the connection of students’ resources to physics phenomena, incorporating socio-political concerns into curricula, integrating content and scientific practices, and cultivating critical learning approaches.

To achieve our objectives, teacher participants form a PLC that convenes through online teleconferencing (Zoom) to discuss and design curriculum development strategies that address equity concerns. Over the course of the second calendar year, the selected PLC members hold monthly meetings totaling 12 sessions. We conduct three interviews with teachers throughout the calendar year to monitor shifts in their teaching identity towards equity, gauge their perceptions of curriculum effectiveness, and gather recommendations for improvement.

Data collection involves video and audio recordings of the online teleconference meetings, focusing on discourse analysis to identify crucial moments when teachers discuss (1) their conceptions of the nature of science, (2) the development of curricula that center students’ cultural resources, encompassing personal, historical, and social experiences, (3) the identification, leverage, and operationalization of students’ resources in their teaching practices, (4) their attention to equity considerations, and (5) the challenges and affordances faced while developing and implementing culture-based equitable curricula. Through our analysis, we attempt tp reveal emergent themes that shed light on how teachers perceive the actualization of culture-based equitable curricula.

Our collaborative research team comprises Mathilda Smith, Matthew Gagnea, Andrea Wooley, Michelle Brown, Christina Schwarz, Abigail Daane, Delwick Nanthou, and Clausell Mathis, drawing upon diverse expertise to provide a comprehensive exploration of culture-based approaches to instruction. Through this study, we aim to contribute valuable insights into developing and enacting equitable curricula, fostering a more inclusive and empowering educational experience for all physics students.