Using Scientific Practice to Address the Girls' Crisis: Designing Science Education from a Feminist Perspectiv

Many young women do not see a place for themselves in science evident from the lack of young women entering and persisting in science majors and careers. This problem persists despite progress in young women's performance on various science achievement measures and degree attainment. This is an equity problem and also a loss of human capital. As cognitive and biological factors do not offer an explanation for the lack of women in science, young women's decision not to choose science is based on sociocultural factors. In this sociocultural study, I created space that allows young women to see science as something they can do and contribute to as they engaged in a unit of study developed from a feminist perspective that uses practice as its key pedagogical strategy. I used feminist theory of science from third wave feminism to provide a productive theoretical lens to consider how we might do things differently in science education with the goals of creating more equitable, inclusive, and active ways to teach science. Curriculum development was informed by a design-based approach and used a case study methodology to generate evidence and provide methods for evaluating this identity study. This unit presented a culture of science contradicted many students' experiences in school science and created space for students to incorporate science as part of a hybrid identity. This study has potential to act as a model for developing curriculum and effecting pedagogical change from a feminist perspective at the high school level and to benefit many students who otherwise might not see a place for themselves in science.