Exploring critical perspectives on sexuality in science education research

• In recent years, the discipline of science education reduces more and more its strong framing and meets its cultural dimension. Often, science education involves various issues that only indirectly relate to students’ understandings of natural phenomena. Moreover, science communities today are largely characterized by heterogeneous groups  with differences in race, sex, religion, language and ethnicity. These different aspects of cultural diversity play an important role in the particular ways students respond to science education. This research field is becoming increasingly pivotal by the researchers working in the multidisciplinary fields of cultural studies and science education. Research on gender and ethnicity in relation to students' learning can be mentioned as two recently developed fields. However, there seem to be areas that are addressed to a very limited extent still. Sexuality constitutes such an example, with the research aim focusing on sexuality in relation to students' learning. In this position paper, a research gap in science education is indicated and addressed. We suggest that further attention should be paid to how the hetero norm asserts power on teachers and students in school science. In addition, more research that challenge unequal practices and discourses of dominance in school science could be one way to further develop school science. The general goal for such research would be to promote inclusion in the school science practice as well as in relation to the subject content. Inclusion of all different sexualities is crucial, in order to make school science a subject that relates to everybody.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Didaktik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Didactics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

science education; critical perspectives; norms; sexuality

Pedagogics

Pedagogik

Allmän didaktik

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)