Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education

by Bryan A. Brown, Christopher Emdin (Foreword)

2021 Outstanding Book Award, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE)

Science in the City examines how language and culture matter for effective science teaching. Author Bryan A. Brown argues that, given the realities of our multilingual and multicultural society, teachers must truly understand how issues of culture intersect with the fundamental principles of learning. This book links an exploration of contemporary research on urban science teaching to a more generative instructional approach in which students develop mastery by discussing science in culturally meaningful ways.

The book starts with a trenchant analysis of the “black tax,” a double standard at work in science language and classrooms that forces students of color to appropriate and express their science knowledge solely in ways that accord with the dominant culture and knowledge regime. Because we are in an interactive, multimedia world, the author also posits the necessity of applying what is known about best practices in science teaching to best practices in technology.

The book then turns to instruction, illustrating how science education can flourish if it is connected to students’ backgrounds, identities, language, and culture. In this empowered—and inclusive—form of science classroom, the role of narrative is educators use stories and anecdotes to induct students into the realm of scientific thinking; introduce big ideas in easy, familiar terms; and prioritize explanation over mastery of symbolic systems. The result is a classroom that showcases how the use of more familiar, culturally relevant modes of communication can pave the way for improved science learning.
 

Genres: Education, Teaching, Science, Nonfiction, Stem

192 pages, Paperback

Published September 10, 2019

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great for any educator but specifically those in the science field. It’s also great for anyone working in a city school, especially if you yourself are not from the city life!
This blends with a lot of modern science curricula as well, so an interesting AND applicable read. Those are the best reads for professional development in my opinion!

[Katie]

Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education by Bryan Brown looks at the way language learning influences science pedagogy and science learning in K-12 classrooms. Brown is a professor of teacher education at Stanford University. His research focuses on student identity, discourse and learning in the sciences, specifically in urban communities. Brown begins Science in the City by reminding the readers of the systemic racism that undergirds our educational system by explaining the black tax. He then explores the complex nexus of minoritized and historically oppressed culture and academic language, and how this problem plays out in science classrooms around the country on a daily basis. Here Brown shifts from explaining the problem to sharing his research-based solutions. In the second half of the book, Brown introduces research he conducted that proves disaggregated learning, techniques for overcoming the language-identity dilemma, and generative instruction; he argues these are key for helping make science accessible and rigorous for the diverse students in our nation's K-12 classrooms. Although this book offers a wealth of pedagogical practices that make science classes more culturally relevant, it does not address how to support teachers in this pedagogical shift. The implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy should not solely fall on the shoulders of the teachers, but also on administrators, policy makers, schools and teacher educators. Ultimately it provides clear and powerful solutions for self-motivated teachers to implement in science classrooms to increase achievement and engagement of students of color.

[David Mattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As educators we often underestimate the richness of our students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds in their learning. In Bryan Brown’s “Science in the City: Culturally Relevant STEM Education” he argues that the socio-linguistic understanding that students bring into the classroom is especially relevant to their progress in science.
In the first half of the book, Brown provides an overview of how the psychological, sociological, and linguistic histories of oppression have made their way into contemporary science classrooms. In the latter half, Brown provides recommendations for practice and policy to improve the way culturally and linguistically minoritized students experience science. Brown guides his readers with a sometimes narrative, sometimes instructional tone interspersed with vivid anecdotes, about his Grandma, baseball and Netflix, as well as various illustrative examples of his research.
While the author presents a vision of instruction and assessment that challenges the status quo, it does not attack with a revolutionary fervor. Instead, Brown issues a balanced and empirically based design that offers clear advice for those who care about transforming STEM education so that it makes sense for students.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science in the City is a culmination of Brian Brown’s experience within the world of K-12 science education and the research of his colleagues. Additionally, he uses plain language examples to ground novice educators, policymakers, and science advocates in his proposed model of disaggregate instruction. This model of teaching allows students to approach new science concepts with their own voice and identity in an effort to shift our current approach to STEM education. The reader experiences disaggregate education as they engage with some of Brown’s research that demonstrates his ideas are grounded in more than just his own opinion. This is an excellent read for those interested in shifting their classrooms to authentically engage populations of students who have historically been marginalized in STEM spaces.

[Jerrid Kruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packages all of what has been known about effective science teaching in an interesting way and illustrates how research-based teaching is culturally-relevant teaching. The second to last chapter maybe puts a bit too much faith in technology, but illustrates the underlying principles we must use to enact that technology well. While I agree with the problems identified for elementary science education, I believe we can find ways to empower and leverage teachers in classrooms better than the outsourcing approach the author outlines. Indeed, when researchers paid engineering grad students to teach alongside elementary teachers, there was not much difference in the classroom instruction. Yet, overall, the author has worthwhile recommendations for classrooms and teacher educators.

[Sabin Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immensely valuable.
For too long, the rift between theory and practice has divided K-12 teachers and higher education researchers. Yet, with Science in the City, Dr. Brown has form a bridge that helps all educators better perform their primary mission - educating students.
What distinguishes Science in the City from other research texts is its immediate applicability. It is not some distant, irrelevant theory; instead it is sound practical pedagogy reinforced with relevant research.

[Lyndsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Science in the City" by Bryan Brown should be required reading for all people in Science Education and Science Communication. He addresses educational inequities and illuminates how race, language, and culture intersect in America's classrooms. Students bring innate science knowledge to the classroom but with the current teaching pedagogy, if kids don't communicate their knowledge in the language that the teacher seeks, their answers are evaluated as incorrect. This is language gatekeeping science and discouraging kids. Brown argues that we should teach science language like "a foreign language to be learned, applied, and used regularly" (p38) With a foreign language, you learn new words for known concepts. In science, you learn new words & new concepts simultaneously. This is a challenging task! If science is taught with the language kids commonly use, the kids are more easily able to grasp these new concepts. The children are represented in the classroom and more engaged in the lesson. Brown provides a great guide to achieve this ideal using existing technology and pedagogical shifts.

Favorite quote: "When we fail to respect the cultural diversity that people bring to conversations, we fail to understand the intelligence of those who have incredible ideas simply because they are using language that we do not associate with brilliance." pg 86

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of research and practical advice for educators. A lot of the strategies were ones I've seen in other places, in reference to culturally relevant teaching or not, but certainly appreciated how Brown's real-world examples showed strategies such as disaggregate instruction (a more language-focused Activity Before Concept) is especially important for students who don't traditionally see themselves in STEM.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

My biggest wish is that “City” had been left out of the title. So much of Dr. Brown’s work transcends societal barriers and while I know it’s relevant to his (or his publisher’s) story, the work is so much more. This along with Munroe’s “Thing Explainer” help me to grow as an educator every time I open the pages.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended as a book club study. I definitely fine-tuned some practices because of the ideas in this book.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely more about language than any other "Science" professional book I've ever read. Definitely a great read for literacy teachers also.

[Andrew Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read that bridges theory and practice. Will return to it often in the future.

[Elizabeth Uhrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a solid set of practical teaching strategies that I will practice in the future. I did find the book repetitive.

[❀Summer❀ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is helpful and actually incredibly actionable, which was refreshing!

[Tara Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful and useful. I will definitely think back to this book when lesson planning. Sparked many ideas and obstacles to consider.