STEM Brief Steers Teachers on Confronting Racism in Science Teaching

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 11/17/21

A new STEM teaching brief offers guidance on dismantling institutional and system racism in the K-12 science classroom. Published by the Institute for Science + Math Education at the University of Washington College of Education, the short report pointed out that teachers play a big role in changing the "racist legacies of STEM and schooling," through a combination of "examining [their] own prejudices" and embedding racial justice into their instructional practices.

Contrary to what we might think, the authors noted, science isn't the "objective and neutral" discipline we might consider it to be. "Science is a subjective human endeavor shaped by issues of power and oppression," the brief stated. For example, the idea that individuals are responsible for leaps in scientific accomplishment ignores the more common atmosphere of "community-based endeavor" and integration of "past and present" that generates knowledge for many communities of color.

Along with links to additional resources, the brief offered three recommendations for educators:

  • To identify partners to support them as they do self-reflection and learn about racial justice;

  • To discuss race, racism, anti-Blackness and other issues of oppression "with everyone you can, in all contexts"; and

  • To examine their science learning activities in light of how how those might "reflect specific value systems, potential identities and possible futures."

The brief is openly available on the STEM Teaching Tools website run by the Institute.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • tutors helping young students with laptops against a vibrant abstract background

    K12 Tutoring Earns ESSA Level II Validation

    Online tutoring service K12 Tutoring recently announced that it has received Level II validation underneath the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The independently validated study provides evidence of K12 Tutoring's role in creating positive student outcomes through effective academic intervention and research-based solutions.

  • elementary school boy using a laptop with a glowing digital brain above his head and circuit lines extending outward

    The Brain Drain: How Overreliance on AI May Erode Creativity and Critical Thinking

    Just as sedentary lifestyles have reshaped our physical health, our dependence on AI, algorithms, and digital tools is reshaping how we think, and the effects aren't always positive.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation in Education

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education, from preschool through higher education.

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    CrowdStrike Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    According to the 2025 Threat Hunting Report from CrowdStrike, adversaries are not just using AI to supercharge attacks — they are actively targeting the AI systems organizations deploy in production. Combined with a surge in cloud exploitation, this shift marks a significant change in the threat landscape for enterprises.