Abstract
In this response to Tang Wee Teo’s article Inside versus outside the science classroom: examining the positionality of two female science teachers at the boundaries of science education, I will extend the conversation around Teo’s finding that the teachers in her study had difficulty translating their “politicized positionalities” into their science teaching by exploring some reasons why this might occur. These reasons are that (1) depending on how positionality is conceived, it could be a limiting mechanism in addition to an empowering one; (2) school and national contexts in which teachers are embedded can frame possibilities for their positionality and science teaching practices; and (3) teachers need support to examine their positionalities, understand how power issues are at work in science, and apply these issues to science teaching. I will elaborate on each of these factors and consider possibilities for helping all science teachers move toward power-sensitive science teaching. I will also propose several practices for incorporating power issues into science curricula.
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Lead Editor: M. Weinstein
This forum paper is a response to Tang Wee Teo's article titled: Inside versus outside the science classroom: Examining the positionality of two female science teachers at the boundaries of science education. doi:10.1007/s11422-014-9581-4
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Stapleton, S.R. Supporting teachers for race-, class-, and gender-responsive science teaching. Cult Stud of Sci Educ 10, 411–418 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-014-9655-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-014-9655-3