Alison Kelly

The Construction of Masculine Science

Abstract The masculinity of science can be studied as a topic in the cultural reproduction of gender. In this paper four distinct, but not necessarily contradictory, accounts of the way in which science comes to be seen as a masculine subject are examined. It is argued that schools could play a transformative, rather than a reproductive, role in the formation of gender identities.

Sex Differences in Science and Technology Among 11-year-old Schoolchildren: II - Affective.

Abstract Two thousand and sixty‐five 11‐year‐olds in their first term at secondary school were given a variety of attitude and achievement tests. Overall both girls and boys had positive attitudes to science but there were substantial sex differences‐‐boys were much keener than girls to learn about physical science, and girls were keener than boys to learn about nature study and human biology. Boys had much greater experience than girls of tinkering activities, but girls had more experience of biological science activities. Boys were much more likely than girls to see science as a masculine preserve. At this age attitudes to science were virtually unrelated to achievement in science‐ and technology‐related areas. One important exception to this is that girls who saw science as masculine tended to perform worse on the cognitive tests.

The development of girls’ and boys’ attitudes to science: A longitudinal study‡

Attitude‐to‐science tests were completed by 1300 pupils, at ten schools, when they were 11 years old and again two and a half years later. During that time their interest in most branches of science decreased, but both girls and boys became more interested in learning about human biology. Their opinions about science and scientists also became generally less favourable, but pupils grew more willing to see science as suitable for girls. The attitude changes varied considerably from school to school, and were slightly better in schools which had implemented a programme of interventions to improve childrens attitudes than in other schools. There was considerable stability in the attitudes of individual children over the period of the study. ‡ An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Conference on Interests in Science and Technology Education, IPN, Kiel, Germany, April 1984 and appears in the proceedings: Lehrke, M., Hoffman, L. and Gardner, P. L. (eds) (1985) Interests in Science and Technology...

Option Choice for Girls and Boys.

Abstract Children in the third year of ten co‐educational comprehensive schools were asked to identify the factors that influenced their subject choice. Both sexes named the same influences on their choices in general. More detailed analyses of subject choice in physics and technical craft showed that boys enjoyed these subjects more than girls and perceived greater support from parents, teachers and friends for continuing with them. This support was one of the strongest predictors of subject choice. Sex had no direct influence on subject choice in physics, but operated indirectly through other variables such as enjoyment of the subject, person orientation and perceived usefulness for getting a job. However boys were more likely than girls to continue with technical craft even when other factors had been taken into account.

To mix or not to mix: Pakistani girls in British schools

Summary Fifty girls of Pakistani origin attending a single‐sex school were interviewed about their views on education. Similar interviews were conducted with their mothers and fathers. The girls and their mothers were much more likely than the fathers to see the purpose of education for girls in terms of qualifications for getting a job. Approximately half the parents were in favour of establishing separate Muslim schools to help preserve their religion and culture. Only a quarter of the girls favoured such schools, and these were mainly younger girls who disliked the teasing they received in a multiracial school. Parents who did not want to see Islamic schools established generally felt that existing schools were accommodating Muslim demands, while the girls stressed the importance of integration with other cultures.

Sex Stereotypes and School Science: A Three Year Follow-Up.

Abstract Sex stereotyping inventories were administered to pupils entering ten co‐educational comprehensive schools. The tests were repeated two and a half years later. Childrens scores on the two occasions were positively correlated. Girls who saw themselves as masculine were slightly more likely than other girls to chose physical science, while girls who saw themselves as feminine were slightly more likely to chose biology. Boys’ self‐images were not linked to option choices. However, boys with a masculine self‐image achieved slightly worse in science than other boys of similar general ability, whereas girls with a masculine self‐image achieved slightly better than other girls. Sex‐typed children were less interested in science, and had a less positive image of science and scientists than other children. In general sex stereotypes were only weakly related to childrens achievements in, choice of, and attitudes towards science, but they were more salient to girls than to boys.

Feminism and research

Abstract This paper is concerned with the relationship between feminism and research. It examines the questions ‘What is feminist research?’ and ‘How should feminism enter the research process?’. Feminist research is defined as research that is undertaken for feminist reasons. Feminism should enter into the choice of research topic and the interpretation of research results. Feminist interpretation is particularly crucial, but is often neglected. However feminism should not impose a new orthodoxy on research methods. Feminist research can employ a variety of methodologies. The argument is illustrated by reference to a research project on girls and science.

Gender Roles at Home and School

Abstract Parents of 116 first‐year pupils at an urban comprehensive school were studied by questionnaire and interview. They were asked about their educational and occupational aspirations for their children, their views on sexual equality and their childrens out‐of‐school activities. Educational aspirations were found to be high, with little differentiation between the sexes. Parents were enthusiastic about their daughters studying physical science and neutral about craft subjects. Occupational aspirations were also high and although they tended to be sex‐stereotyped, parents were found to be generally supportive of non‐traditional choices. Class differences were few. Most parents were in favour of working mothers, equal pay and men helping with housework. However these egalitarian attitudes coexisted with more traditional assumptions about male breadwinners and a womans main responsibility being to her children. Parents’ own domestic labour and that which they required of their children was strongly s...

Traditionalists and Trendies: teachers’ attitudes to educational issues

Questionnaires were sent to 900 secondary school teachers throughout England and Wales; 373 (41%) were returned. Teachers agreed on many issues but opinion was divided on the abolition of the remaining grammar schools and the question of mixed‐ability teaching. Underlying dimensions of traditionalism, belief in equality of the sexes and feminism were identified in teachers’ attitudes. Older teachers were more traditional than younger ones, and science and craft teachers were more traditional than arts teachers. Women were more emphatic about sex equality than men and London teachers were more feminist than others. Teachers in schools which had been involved in the Girls Into Science and Technology (GIST) project were slightly less traditional and more in favour of equality of the sexes than other teachers.

Ethnic Differences in Science Choice, Attitudes and Achievement in Britain

Abstract The science choices, attitudes and achievement of Asian and black children were compared with those of white children. When allowance was made for background and school factors there was very little difference between the ethnic groups in the extent to which they enroled in science courses in fourth and fifth year. Asian boys were slightly more likely than other boys to choose physics; they also expressed greater liking for science and greater interest in learning about physical science than other boys. White girls were less interested in physical science than other girls and white boys were less interested in biology. Black and Asian pupils scored lower than comparable white children on science tests on entry to secondary school. However by fifth year Asian boys were out‐performing white boys, while black pupils achieved as well as white children from similar backgrounds and schools.