Description
Behind the stereotype of girls’ not doing well in science are some reasons, mostly based on one fact: They are often—and most often inadvertently—treated differently in the classroom. The authors of Girls in Science engaged in years of working under a grant funded by the National Science Foundation on this all-too-real problem of gender-equitable science teaching. What they found through working with students, teachers, and scientists— the three elements of the Triad community in which their research started—can change the way you teach and level the playing field of science education for girls.
The Triad refers also to the Student Goals, the Teaching Goals, and the Science Goals – there are five in each area—that lie at the heart of the book. Each of the 15 goals is supported by an essay, strategies, and brief vignettes that will help teachers and students reach the goal. The vignettes, written by teachers and scientists involved in the project, illustrate the strategies. They illuminate problems and provoke the reader to find remedies through the use of reflection questions and links to similar vignettes. For the Student Goal of “Confidence to Explore,” for instance, one of the three strategies is “Knowing that I learn when I make mistakes.” The five vignettes supporting the strategies include “After the Initial Eewww,” “No Longer the Same,” and “No Step-by-Step Instructions.”
Girls in Science is valuable for more than issues of gender equity. As their work progressed, the authors realized what they were learning could be adapted to help with equitable teaching for other groups of students; special-needs students, English language learners, and ethnic and racial minorities, for example.
Ideas For Use
Girls in Science is for anyone who is engaged in science teaching: school teachers, professors, museum educators, school volunteers, and professional developers, to name but a few. It will provide you with fascinating insights into a long-standing problem of science education.
Contents
Contents
About the Authors
Introduction
Section I: The Triad Story and Framework
Chapter 1: The Triad Story—A Science Education Community Navigating Gender Equity
Chapter 2: The Triad Framework —A Tool for Discussing Gender-Equitable Science Teaching
Section II: Exploring the Framework—Vignettes and Essays
Introduction
Chapter 3: Student Goals—Developing Strong Girls in Science
Introduction to the Chapter
Essay: Confidence to Explore
After the Initial Eeewwww
No Longer the Same
Not Having Step-by Step Instructions
By the End of the School Year
I Didn’t Want to Produce the Same Fears
Essay: Familiarity with Tools
Don’t You Feel Powerful
The Real Microscope
The Stopwatch as a Tool
Safety Was a Concern
I Don’t Even Know How to Use a Saw
The UV Bulb Can Be Changed by the User
Essay: Persistence Through Confusion
Fun and Frustrating
To Build and Rebuild
Where to Draw the Line
She Wanted to Do It Herself
Essay: Resilience to Failure
I Shouldn’t Have Come
So That All the Bridges Fall
Making Mistakes
Watch Me!
Essay: Defending a Position
I Assumed That Our Girls Would Feel Comfortable
We Have Reason to Believe
A Little Unnerving
On a More Personal Level
Chapter 4: Science Goals—Envisioning Science in Classrooms
Introduction
Essay: Wonder About the Natural World
Not What We Had Planned
To Simply Marvel
The Balloon Droops
Above a Whisper
Nothing to Do With the Club
Essay: Do Science to Learn Science
Putting Sugar in Water
I Learned How a Lava Lamp Works
Nobody Knows What’s Inside
The Real Thing
A Daunting Task
Essay: Think Critically, Logically, and Skeptically
There is No Road Map
To Trust in Their Own Logic
Walking Encyclopedia
Answers Are Not the Goals
Essay: Use Evidence to Predict, Explain, and Model – 3
The Most Difficult
Scientifically Dissatisfied
You Can Lead a Horse to Water
Essay: Build a Community of Scientists – 6
The Strength of the Group
When Science First Was Really New
Have to Make It Right
To Help and Teach Each Other
Turning to Nadya
A Common Forum
Chapter 5: Teaching Goals—Striving for Gender Equitable Science Teaching
Introduction
Essay: Encourage Student Voices – 5
I Watched in Awe
The Quieter Girls
I Have to Introduce Triad
See What Happens
Many People Got a Chance
Essay: Maintain High Expectations – 6
The More We Expected
Talking in Questions
Can You Help Me?
Answering Student Questions With Questions
Theory is Easy, Practice Is Difficult
Science Is Not a Priority for These Students
Accepting Stereotypes
Essay: Delegate Responsibility – 5
Keeping Your Hands in Your Pockets
Does This Bridge Look Better Than Last Time?
I Could See How Much I Learned
A Different Role
No One Felt Uninvolved
Essay: Make Equity Explicit – 7
To Cunningly Mediate Equity
Like Dad
Talking About Equity
Way Beyond Our Expectations
Stop in My Tracks
Anyone But the Boy
My Own Tendency
Essay: Reflect to Improve Practice – 5
Back in the Classroom
By Scoring When a Girl Participated
Personal Development
Resurrecting Socrates
At First I Was Hesitant
Section III: Looking Forward and Learning More
Chapter 6: Taking Action
Appendix A: Facilitation Guidelines
Appendix B: A Few Words on Data Collection and Methodology
Appendix C: Literature Cited
Appendix D: Author Biographies
Acknowledgments