A case study of culturally relevant pedagogy in two urban high school science classrooms

The public education system is faced with several realities, such as the ever-growing diversity among students, especially students of color. In addition, it has been established that in most cases, the students of color are most likely to be the ones that end up on the negative side of the achievement gap. This calls for a need to revisit the proper measures in the educational system to ensure that culturally relevant practices are put in place for students from diverse cultural backgrounds. This study is informed and guided by the culturally relevant pedagogy, critical race theory, and liberation of public-school education. The research's main aim is to investigate the role of African American female science teachers who have been trained in the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy in a racially inclusive classroom. This is achieved by examining teachers’ roles and influencing student learning engagement strategies in an urban high school. Through this study, the experiences of two African American female teachers who had received training on the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy are collected, analyzed, and interpreted. In this case, the trained teachers showcased their skills in creating a curriculum that encouraged multiculturalism and created an environment where all students despite their race or color, are welcome. The research emphasizes the importance of further studying the application of CRP and culturally relevant pedagogy.

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