Reflection

Before completing this project, I was ignorant of the extent of the barriers that minority students face in the science classroom. Science was always my favorite subject throughout elementary, middle, and high school, and I plan to major in Biochemistry. While I have always been aware of the underrepresentation of females in the STEM workforce, I never personally experienced discrimination on the basis of my sex in the classroom. I was blessed with passionate, engaging science teachers with whom I was able to connect. Not until this project did I realize that this connection was most likely strengthened through similarities in identity as most of my science teachers have been white females. However the research I have done, illuminates how much harder it is for more minority students to connect with their teachers and respond to a teaching style based in a culture different from that of the students.

However, the major barrier to minority students in urban science classes is the common perception of the field of science. Typically, in American culture, science is considered a white man’s field. This creates a clash of identities for minority students interested in science because they feel that their love of science and personal background cannot intermix. Furthermore, science is also considered a field for only the smartest students. Minorities are classified into that group by the school much less frequently than white students which places another burden on Black and Latino students.

Many of the issues in the urban public school science classes are challenges that have been discussed in our Urban Education class in relation to urban education as a whole. For one, the underrepresentation of minority teachers leads to inferior performance by minorities. Teachers of color have better results with students of color because of the teachers’ cultural similarities and understanding, language abilities, teaching style, and use of culturally appropriate curriculum. Furthermore, teachers must attempt to understand their students’ backgrounds. In urban public schools, many students are dealing with complicated cultural and economic issues. With the large urban public school classes, it is very difficult for teachers to find time to personally connect with all of their students, and many teachers do not have a personal basis for understanding their students. It is, however, essential that the teacher make an effort. Urban public school teachers also must work diligently not to hold all students to a standard based on the ideals of the majority racial grouping, or “white norms” and to understand he origin of  their students’ behavior. Finally, urban schoolteachers must also face the difficult task of teaching material that is relevant to different cultures in order to engage their students. This task is challenging because urban public schools are often very diverse.

Many individuals have conceived of creative methods to engage minority students in science classrooms. Using hip-hop creates a more comfortable environment for minority students because it is a framework to which they are accustomed. By creating a form of “hip-hop social network” in the classroom, a trust can encourage students to feel comfortable taking risks and participating in class and make connections between teacher and student more fluid. Furthermore, creating environments out of school for urban public school students to learn about science is a successful solution. Science clubs, science fairs, and technology classes are just some examples of such environments.

It is uniquely important that all students in urban public schools receive equal opportunities and support in the science classroom because jobs in the STEM field are both plentiful and lucrative. Therefore, increasing the amount of minority students interested in science has the potential to decrease unemployment rates and increase wages among minorities. Furthermore, science is the sole subject where minority teachers have a lower rate of retention in high risk schools than white teachers. This is mostly due to a lack of minority workers in other, more profitable, STEM careers. If the amount of minority individuals in STEM fields increased, it is probable that the retention rates for minority science teachers would also increase.

Supporting individuals in science while they are in school is essential because the majority of those who go into STEM fields decide they want to do so at a young age. Elementary, middle, and high school are times where children are forming their identities about who they are and what they can and want to do. It is essential that science is a subject that minority students feel confident about so it is a possibility in their minds as a career path.