The inadequacies of “Science for All” and the necessity and nature of a socially transformative curriculum approach for african American science education

Abstract

“Science for All” is a mantra that has guided science education reform and practice for the past 20 years or so. Unfortunately, after 20 years of “Science for All” guided policy, research, professional development, and curricula African Americans continue to participate in the scientific enterprise in numbers that are staggeringly low. What is more, if current reform efforts were to realize the goal of “Science for All,” it remains uncertain that African American students would be well‐served. This article challenges the idea that the type of science education advocated under the “Science for All” movement is good for African American students. It argues that African American students are uniquely situated historically and socially and would benefit greatly from a socially transformative approach to science education curricula designed to help them meet their unique sociohistorical needs. The article compares the curriculum approach presented by current reform against a socially transformative curriculum approach. It concludes with a description of research that could support the curricular approach advocated. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 301–316, 2011

Students as curriculum critics: Standpoints with respect to relevance, goals, and science

“…This study extends previous work that deals with socially transformative science curriculum (Morales‐Doyle, , ; Mutegi, ) by investigating the different ways in which students experience the relevance of justice‐centered curriculum. It extends previous findings that SSI curricula increase student motivation (Sadler & Dawson, ) by suggesting that SJSI curricula can motivate engagement for students who were previously disengaged with science while also providing opportunities for students to critically reflect on the relationship between science and issues of cultural relevance and social justice.…”

Race And Ethnicity: Powerful Cultural Forecasters Of Science Learning And Performance

“…He argued that equity should be a guiding principle in science education reform and that the Standards must provide the conceptual guidance necessary to encourage teachers, administrators, parents, and policymakers to take the necessary action to radically transform schools. Mutegi (2011) also criticized the inadequacies of Science for All for African American students, especially those who continue to perform poorly in science courses. His advocated curriculum reform includes students' mastery of science content, relevancy, context, and critique to transform the lives of African Americans as it relates to science understanding.…”

Illuminating political clarity in culturally relevant science instruction

“…For some time, many scholars have challenged the science for all rhetoric to live up to its inclusionary, empowering potential (Bang & Medin, ; Barton, ; Barton & Osborne, ; Bryan & Atwater, ; Mutegi, ). These scholars attend to the sociocultural and sociopolitical realities of students’ lives, and the interplay between those realities and the social negotiation of scientific ways of knowing, doing, and being in learning environments, such as science classrooms.…”