Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The literature on the manner in which gender influences the participation and performance of
girls and boys in science and science education indicates that the disparity between the genders, in
favour of boys, persists. This has negatively affected the participation rates of women in tertiary
science education and the science workplace. Gender inequality, an outcome of socio-cultural
relations, is regarded as being at the root of this disparity. Science is regarded as a male domain; a
feminist analysis has viewed the position of women in science as emanating from a history of the
oppression of women in male-dominated society. Through socialisation and cultural practices, society
encourages the development of binaristic, gendered norms and roles: a fertile environment for the
perpetuation of the gender role stereotypes portraying boys as more science-orientated than girls.
Schools are regarded as prime sites for the perpetuation of gender inequalities. The sociocultural
perceptions that educators and learners alike bring into science classrooms influence their
thinking about gender in science and science education. The interactive social milieu of the classroom
is viewed as the crucible where attitudes to, beliefs in and perceptions of the role of gender in
science are shaped.
In addition, the media functions as a socio-cultural agent, both in its popular form and as a
source of resource material for science teaching. The masculine image of science and scientists it
persistently promotes influences girls’ and boys’ attitudes to, beliefs in and perceptions of science and
science education. The study examines gender and the perceptions of science and science education of boy and
girl learners in the General Education and Training (GET) phase of education i.e. Grades 7 to 9. The
research methodology comprised both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative study
entailed conducting a survey of six hundred Grades 7, 8 and 9 boy and girl learners in an English
medium school. A small sample of 26 learners was randomly selected from each of the Grades 7, 8
and 9 for semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews. Age, grade and gender were the selection
criteria. All participant schools are situated in an educational district in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town,
South Africa: the majority of residents in the suburb are from the lower middle class and were
classified Coloured according to the Apartheid racial classification. The educators administering the
qualitative, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were also drawn from this group.
The findings confirmed that gender role stereotypes persist in science and science education.
Girls are drawn to affective science pursuits whereas boys are firmly rooted to stereotypical
perceptions of the masculine image of science and science careers. It is apparent that girls are challenging sex-role stereotypes in science and agitating for gender equity in science education and
science careers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uwc/oai:etd.uwc.ac.za:11394/3667 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Gasant, Mogamad Waheeb |
| Contributors | Shefer, Tamara |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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