THERE ARE probably quite a few people who would find it hard to think of any connection between the world of science education and that of hip-hop and grime artists such as Jay Z and Stormzy.

However, London science teacher Matt Green has brought his love for rap music into the classroom in a bid to help his pupils pass their science exams.

As an educational discipline, science is considered as one of the toughest subjects to learn. The intimidation factor for science courses — especially at the higher education level — turns many students away from taking them.

Intimidating

It’s an issue that has led to debates among science educators in recent years about how the subject can better engage students and make them more aware of its real-world applications can be developed.

However it’s something that Green seems to be already achieving with an innovative approach to teaching the subject that is rooted in his love of hip hop and grime.

Green, better known as the Rapping Science Teacher, now boasts more than 200,000 followers on Tik Tok where he posts rap tracks that he writes and performs which cover topics on the GCSE science syllabus.

Videos of his science lessons he has turned into a hip-hop track into raps have gone viral on Tik Tok earning him praise from pupils who say his music skills have helped them improve their science knowledge.

They say his catchy rhymes, which cover topics ranging from electrodes to genes, have helped bring science to life and raised their chances of passing exams in the subject.

The idea to use rap as a teaching tool came during lockdown when pupils were forced to learn online.

“Back in 2020 I had some pupils that I had to help prepare for an upcoming science test” he recalls. “And I always took pride in explaining things in the best way possible to help them remember. But as I was working with them I thought to myself  ‘why is it so difficult for them to remember this particular science topic?’ And I think a car went by playing ‘Little Nas X’s, Old Town Road. It wasn’t a song that I listened to much, but I knew the words instantly. I hadn’t even attempted to know the words.

“I remembered that when I was at school myself, I might read a textbook twenty times and not remember what I’d read. But the words of this song came to me instantly without even trying. So I had the idea that maybe I could teach these kids science using a rap song which would help them remember ideas in the lesson more easily.”

Green continues: “I sat on the idea for about six months, I think I was a bit too scared to do it and was worried about how it might be received. And then I bit the bullet and went for it.”

Passion

Recognizing the potential of combining his love for music with his passion for science education, he began experimenting with short raps during his lessons.

The rising popularity of Tik Tok among his students made this platform a natural choice to post the first video of his efforts.

“The early videos didn’t get much traction. I think the first one got something like six views but some people who saw it thought it was good so I kept going.”

Six months later, after a few tweaks, his science rhymes began to get noticed with one video gaining over 40,000 views.

“That was huge for me at the time” he says. “It took my following from five to around 20,000. When I went back to school after it was posted my pupils had all seen and commented on the video. One thing that was said quite a few times is that they had learned more in 30 seconds watching the videos than they had in the previous four weeks. And that was what I wanted, for them to remember the information really easily.”

Popularity

As Green’s popularity grew he began posting more videos on Tik Tok of himself rapping about topics found in the GCSE science syllabus.

“The song selection process comes down to two things. The first is a cold-blooded beat, something that you’d most likely hear in the top 10.  For the first video I did I used Stormzy’s Shut Up. In terms of topic selection, I knew from several years in the classroom which subjects students struggled with the most such as electrolysis and the nitty gritty of cell structure.

“Sometimes I’ll hear a beat and I’ll think I’ve got to use it with that topic. But then if the topic doesn’t work with that beat another one will.”

Green’s efforts as a rapper while he was at school himself provided the inspiration for him to use music as a teaching tool.

“I loved rap when I was in school and then by the time I hit sixth form I fancied myself as someone who could write rhymes and record them in my bedroom,” he says. “But I never dreamed of getting on stage to perform them, I just liked the creative process of writing things, getting the flow, getting the rhythm, getting the rhymes right.  And then university came, and I thought ‘I’m going to focus on this’ so that was the end of my rap dream. It just wasn’t the thing for me.”

As Green’s career as a teacher progressed, so did his thoughts about performing in public.

I’m keen to use music to show what science teaching is all about and reach as many young people as possible

Matt Green

“I realised that a big part of being a teacher is public speaking. You have to stand in front of a group of pupils, engage them and enjoy it. As I’ve risen in seniority I’ve had to speak in front of hundreds of  staff members which is an even more daunting task. But as I did it the worries and fears I had about performing in public started to disappear.

“So when I began I think about rapping again, but this time in front of an audience,  I just thought ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ Now, I enjoy it and I’m happy to do it.”

A former full-time teacher, Matt left his state school job last year and now runs a thriving tutoring business JGM Tutors, with 70 tutors on his books.

Although fully focused on the business Green reveals he has received a number of opportunities beyond the classroom to showcase his rap talents.

“I don’t think you’ll see me doing concerts” he laughs. “I don’t think anyone is going to pay to see a teacher rapping. However, I do want to raise the profile of what I do. I already have some stuff on Spotify and I’m keen to use music to show what science teaching is all about and reach as many young people as possible.”