Chemistry students' identity empowerment through etnochemistry in culturally responsive transformative teaching (CRTT)

The paper portrays the second year report of a three-year longitudinal study of ethnochemistry integration in Culturally Responsive Transformative Teaching (CRTT) teaching model in secondary schools. The CRTT develop based on Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) as an approach that includes students' characteristics and cultural references in all aspects of learning and transformative learning framework. The study developed CRTT teaching model in the first year of study and consists of five phases of self-identification, cultural understanding, collaboration, critical reflections, and transformative construction. The qualitative methodology approach has been employed with observation, interviews, and reflective journals as data collection. The CRTT teaching model was implemented in chemistry classrooms from two secondary schools. The study involved 68 students of year-10 in the topic of electrolyte and non-electrolyte solution. The data was analyzed from the basic principles of cultural identity category. The results showed that the integration of ethnochemistry in CRTT teaching model has engaged students in empowerment their cultural identity and nationalism, cultural differences awareness, and learning identity development. The teaching model is also relevant to the policy of national curricula of nationalism in relation to character and culture identity development.