Gender, Science and Essentialism: the use of science to support single-sex schooling
Keywords:
science education, gender, science, schooling, essentialism, single-sex schoolingAbstract
In this article I examine the trend that links science to differences between girls and boys as learners. Although the reasoning is flawed and the science has been misrepresented, the reported differences have been taken up by proponents of single-sex education for girls and boys.
&
These claims rely on an essentialist view of science and of society: they insist on difference where it would be more productive and more accurate to look for similarity. I recommend that not only should all schools seek a more subtle account of gender, they should also seek a more nuanced account of science, for without such an account the science of gender will continue to be open to misrepresentation.
&
&
&
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
