Study On The Gender Issue In Science Education In America From The Historical Perspective-including Suggestion On China

The gender issue in science education is one of the hottest topics in education research of America. It changes with the development of the history and education. Prior to the middle of the 19th century, when the classic languages did play an important role in society rather than science, women’s science education was not prohibited. Since the second half the 19th century, science has revealed its magic power and science education has been regarded as the best way to get access to this power. Then women’s science education was blocked. Therefore, women had to fight for the equal education rights as men and finally won it in 1970s with the enacting of Title IX of the Education Amendments. After that, educators and researchers in science education paid more attention to the gender differences and their opinions of gender issue have been evolved into more critical feminist and emancipatory theoretical frameworks, which are helpful for us to reduce the gender deviation in science education.This paper consists of five chapters to discuss the development and evolution of the gender issue in science education in America.In Chapter 1 "The initiation of gender consciousness in science education (before Civil War)", the general situation of science education and the formation and development of gender bias in science are discussed. The chances and challenges of the girls’ science education are emphasized. During this period, women’s science education is not specifically prohibited. Therefore science curriculum are more highlighted in women’s schools than in men’s schools since approaching to the middle of the 19th century, though none of the women’s schools enjoyed an endowment at all commensurate with those of the leading men’s schools and few prominent scientific practitioners served on the regular faculty of the early women’s academies and seminaries.In Chapter 2 "Fighting for equal rights in science education (from the Civil War to 1970s)", we investigated how women’s science education was affected by pragmatism and gender barriers. Women’s opportunities and fighting in science education are also discussed. At the second half of the 19th century, when science education and higher education led to prestigious jobs, men tried to testify that women were inferior to men using various theories and new findings of science so that women did not deserve the same education as men did. Allocated quota and the marriage bar are the popular regulations to restrict women’s chances in science education and work opportunities. Fortunately Land-Grant colleges and universities, the coeducation and the two world wars stimulated women’s science education. Meanwhile women set up colleges and associations especially for women to fight for equal rights in education and work with the impetus of the feminist movement. In order to get recognition, women in science worked hard to make highly honored achievements, which was called the classical strategy for women to attend to the realm controlled by men.In chapter 3 "The research and practice to amend the gender deviation under critical reflections-gender differences, factors of gender differences and revision (after 1970s)", the gender differences in cognitive abilities, affective factors, experiences in science education, major option and work force in science are explored. The factors affecting the gender differences in science education are also summarized. Since the 1970s, various methods have been adopted to decrease the gender differences in science education. The Civil Rights and Title IX of the Education Amendments ensure the equal rights in education for all. The supporting grant and programs especially for women facilitate women’s progress in science and science education. The formation of women’s associations in science and some women-friendly-teaching-practice in science education are proved to effectively improve women’s enrollments and endurance.In chapter 4 "The research and practice to amend the gender differences under critical reflections-feminism and the gender issue in science education (after 1970s)", feminist opinions about the science education, feminist critique of the science and science education and feminist construct of science education are analyzed in detail. The feminist opinions about science education have been shifted twice. The first shift is from the perspective that girls needed to be changed to the perspective that school science needed to change to engage girls. The second shift is a move toward challenging binary oppositions that oversimplify understandings of gender and places more emphasis on intersections between race, class and gender. Feminists criticize the stereotypical portrayal of science, the social order of science, objectivity of science, epistemological questions about scientific knowledge. They construct the science education through exerting influence on science education reform, changing science curriculum and teaching methods, training the gender sensibility of the future teachers and help women form science identity.In chapter 5 "The characteristics of the gender issue in science education in America and its enlightenment to China", the characteristics of gender issue of science education in America and China are summarized. Meanwhile taking advantages of the survey of students’scientific knowledge and reasoning, we analyze the gender differences of students in America and China, and then discuss its enlightenment to China.