“Dirty Waters”: Science Teachers' Perceptions of Discussing Politics in Science Learning Spaces

Science education has historically tended to call itself apolitical or neutral and consequently been unwelcoming to conversations about how science is and has always been politically charged. More recently, scholars underline that science learning spaces must begin to intentionally integrate the way political actors shape how societies respond to present day science issues (e.g., climate change, health) so that students are better prepared to be civic leaders as scientists or other relevant stakeholders. Using narrative interview data from a study exploring influencing factors for what and how science teachers in Guyana teach about sociopolitical dimensions of science issues, this submission explores the why for the way teachers conceive of the relationship between politics and science learning. We use this to consider what would be required of teachers, of students, and of society to effectively use political discourse as an avenue for developing criticality towards historical healing, resilience, and community.