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Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education
Physics education in Nigeria is often critiqued for being overly theoretical and disconnected from students' cultural contexts and everyday lives. While students struggle to relate physics concepts to their lived experiences, teachers themselves are frequently blamed for lacking innovative or student-centered approaches. However, this perspective often overlooks the colonial legacies and systemic barriers that shape how teachers were trained and the resources available to them. This study uses interviews with two in-service physics teachers in Nigeria to examine how they navigate these constraints and strive to reframe physics teaching in ways that resonate with their students. Drawing on framing theory, culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), and the concept of coloniality, the findings reveal that while the curriculum and professional development continue to privilege Western epistemologies and canonical physics knowledge, teachers are finding creative and culturally rooted ways to make physics more relevant and meaningful. Teachers like Obi and Esther leverage students' local knowledge, whether it be farming practices, musical traditions, or community challenges to build bridges between textbook content and real-world applications. Yet, this culturally relevant work remains largely informal and teacher-driven, occurring in the margins of a system still structured by colonial assumptions about what counts as valid scientific knowledge. This study argues for a reimagining of physics education in Nigeria that moves beyond deficit views of teachers, instead foregrounding the agency and resourcefulness of teachers as they negotiate and reframe physics in their classrooms.
Physics Education Research Conference 2025
Part of the PER Conference series Washington, DC: August 6-7, 2025 Pages 320-325
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<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=17160">Nonyelum, L, C. Mathis, O. Akcil-Okan, and M. Smith. "Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025.</a>
L. Nonyelum, C. Mathis, O. Akcil-Okan, and M. Smith, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, 2025, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17160&DocID=6088).
L. Nonyelum, C. Mathis, O. Akcil-Okan, and M. Smith, Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, 2025, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17160&DocID=6088>.
Nonyelum, L., Mathis, C., Akcil-Okan, O., & Smith, M. (2025, August 6-7). Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC. Retrieved December 12, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17160&DocID=6088
Nonyelum, L, C. Mathis, O. Akcil-Okan, and M. Smith. "Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2025, Washington, DC, August 6-7, 2025. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17160&DocID=6088 (accessed 12 December 2025).
Nonyelum, Lucky, Clausell Mathis, Ozlem Akcil-Okan, and Mathilda J. Smith. "Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education." Physics Education Research Conference 2025. Washington, DC: 2025. 320-325 of PER Conference. 12 Dec. 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17160&DocID=6088>.
@inproceedings{
Author = "Lucky Nonyelum and Clausell Mathis and Ozlem Akcil-Okan and Mathilda J. Smith",
Title = {Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education},
BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2025},
Pages = {320-325},
Address = {Washington, DC},
Series = {PER Conference},
Month = {August 6-7},
Year = {2025}
}
%A Lucky Nonyelum %A Clausell Mathis %A Ozlem Akcil-Okan %A Mathilda J. Smith %T Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education %S PER Conference %D August 6-7 2025 %P 320-325 %C Washington, DC %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17160&DocID=6088 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2025 %O August 6-7 %O application/pdf %0 Conference Proceedings %A Nonyelum, Lucky %A Mathis, Clausell %A Akcil-Okan, Ozlem %A Smith, Mathilda J. %D August 6-7 2025 %T Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education %B Physics Education Research Conference 2025 %C Washington, DC %P 320-325 %S PER Conference %8 August 6-7 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=17160&DocID=6088 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
Citation Source Information
The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual. The AJP/PRST-PER presented is based on the AIP Style with the addition of journal article titles and conference proceeding article titles. The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References. The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation. The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ. Framing Towards Culturally Relevant Practice in Nigeria High School Physics Education:Know of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it. |
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