Selfies at the science museum

Exploring girls’ identity performances in a science learning space

Bibliographic Data

ID12232152
AuthorsEd Dawson (0000-0001-7152-6032, Department of Science & Technology Studies, University College London, London, UK, corresponding author), Louise Archer (0000-0002-0254-4234, Department of Education, Practice & Society, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK), Amy Seakins (0000-0001-7804-1396, Office of the Provost, Imperial College London, London, UK), Spela Godec (0000-0002-9729-8549, Department of Education, Practice & Society, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK), John Dewitt (0000-0001-8584-2888, Office of the Provost, Imperial College London, London, UK), Heather King (0000-0002-2849-9398, King's College London), Ada Mau (0000-0001-9850-0908, Department of Education, Practice & Society, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK), Effrosyni Nomikou (0000-0002-7921-5834, Department of Education, Practice & Society, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK)
Year2019
Volume32
Issue5
Pages664-681
Publication date2019-01-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueGender and Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0954-0253 • E-ISSN: 1360-0516
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09540253.2018.1557322
OpenAlexW2913057388
LanguageEN
Citations received25
References cited49

Science education has a seemingly intractable gender problem and remains largely the reserve of White, middle-class men and boys, especially in the physical sciences. In this paper, taking an intersectional approach to Butler’s idea of identity as performance, we explore the affordances and limitations of a specific science learning space (a science museum) for girls. We discuss four types of performance, one based on ‘good’ behaviour, one combining masculinity and ‘race’/ethnicity, one of silence and one based on being ‘cool’. We focus on the experiences of 25 girls aged 12-13, from a mixture of ethnic backgrounds, from two inner-city, state-run, co-educational London schools, in the UK. We argue that the museum space put girls in a difficult position for both learning science and enacting the identities they were invested in. We conclude by reflecting on the implications for science learning spaces that disrupt rather than reproduce social inequalities

Aesthetics · Affordance · Class (philosophy · Cognitive psychology · Epistemology · Ethnic group · Identity (music · Masculinity · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Race (biology · Science education · Silence · Sociology · Space Science · Anthropology · Computer Science · Educational Environments and Student Outcomes · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

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