Teaching in Cross-Culture: A Worldwide Concern to Improve the Science Education in a Multicultural Perspective

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a research in trend analysis on thematic focus of Teaching in CrossCultural and Crossing Cultural Borders in Science Teaching. Six journals were searched, three of them Brazilian and three internationals. All of them are free to access in the Internet and the research considered between the period of 2008 to 2018. Was used the word “culture” to search the articles and select considering the abstract to make sure that was about Cross-culture Teaching. The results show an increase in the number of publications in the area with a diversity of applications regarding levels of education as Elementary and Secondary School, undergraduate and graduate levels; different cultures or peoples as aborigines, immigrants, Afro-Americans, LatinAmericans, traditional peoples as fishermans and small farmers; in the formation of science concepts; teachers training; students’ motivation; and cultural epistemological identification. In Brazil the researches in the area are under a STS approach and apply the theories indirectly. The countries with the highest production are Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand with studies applied to indigenous peoples. In Europe the studies in the area are focused on immigrant multiculturalism. Asia researching its traditional ethnicities in Taiwan; and South America represented by Brazil with researches directed to farmers in the state of Bahia. The results suggest the need for more research in this area in Brazil, which presents great cultural diversity.