Feminism and Science Education

FEMINISM AND SCIENCE
EDUCATION
JOANALLY R. BAGOYO MSE GEN SCI

FEMINISM
 Feminism or Feminist Theory is a range of political
movements, ideologies and social movements that
share a common goal which is to define and
advance political, economic, personal and social
rights of women.
 This
includes seeking to establish equal
opportunities for women in education and
employment.
HISTORY
 Charles Fourier, a Utopian Socialist and

French philosopher, is credited with
having coined the word “feminisme” in
1837.
 Fourier believed that all important jobs
should open to women on the basis of
skill and aptitude rather than closed on
account of gender. He spoke of women
as individuals, not as half the human of
couple.
HISTORY
 The words “feminisme” and “Feminist” first

appeared in France and Netherlands in 1872.
 Great Britain in the 1890s,
 and the United States in 1910.
FEMINIST MOVEMENTS
The history of the modern western
feminist movements is divided into
three “waves”. Each wave dealt with
different aspects of the same feminist
issues.
FIRST WAVE
 Thefirst wave comprised women’s suffrage
movements of the nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, promoting women’s right to
vote.
SECOND WAVE
 The second wave was
associated with the ideas
and actions of the
women’s liberation
movement beginning in
the 1960s.
 The second wave
campaigned for legal and
social equality for
women.
SECOND WAVE
 The third wave is a
continuation of and a
reaction to the perceived
failures of the second-
wave feminism,
beginning in the 1990s.
4 Basic Principles in Feminism
1. Working to increase equality.
 Feminist thought links

ideas to action, insisting
we should push for
change toward gender
equality and not just talk
about it.
2. Expanding Human choice
 Feminists believe that both men and
women have freedom to develop their
human interests and talents, even if
those interests and talents conflict with
the status qou.
 For example, if a women wants to be a
mechanic, she should have the right
and opportunity to do so.
3. Eliminating gender stratification
Feminists oppose laws
and cultural norms that
limit income,
educational and job
opportunities for
women.
2. Ending sexual violence and promoting sexual freedom
Feminists feel that

women should have
control and reproduction
Types of Feminism
There are three basic forms of feminisms:
Liberal Feminism
Social Feminism
Radical Feminism
LIBERAL FEMINISM
 Liberal feminism is an individualistic form of
feminist theory, which focuses on women’s
ability to maintain their equality through their
own actions and choices.
 Liberal feminists argue that society holds the
false belief that women are, by nature, ;less
intellectually and physically capable than men.
SOCIALIST FEMINISM
 Socialist feminism is a branch of feminism that
focuses upon both the public and private spheres
of women’s life and argues liberation can only
be achieved by working to end both the
economic and cultural sources of women's
oppression.
SOCIALIST FEMINISM
 Socialist feminism is a two-pronged theory that
branches Marxist feminism's argument for the
role of capitalism in the oppression of women
and radical feminism’s theory of the role of
gender and the patriarchy.
RADICAL FEMINISM
 Radical feminism is a perspective within
feminism that calls for a radical reordering of
society in which male supremacy is eliminated
in all social and economic contexts.
RADICAL FEMINISM
 Radical feminists seek to abolish patriarchy by
challenging existing social norms and institutions,
rather than through a purely political process.
 This includes challenging the notion of traditional
gender roles, opposing the sexual objectification of
women, and raising public awareness about such
issues as rape and violence against women.
SCIENCE EDUCATION
SCIENCE EDUCATION
Position
Science is the study of phenomena and events around us
through systematic observation and experimentation.
Science education cultivates students' curiosity about the
world and enhances scientific thinking. Through the
inquiry process, students will recognize the nature of
science and develop scientific knowledge and science
process skills to help them evaluate the impacts of
scientific and technological development. This will prepare
students to participate in public discourse in science-related
issues and enable them to become life-long learners in
science and technology.
SCIENCE EDUCATION
Direction
The emphasis of science education is to enhance students'
scientific literacy through investigative activities that
involve planning, measuring, observing, analyzing data,
designing and evaluating procedures, and examining
evidence. Learning science will enable our students to lead
a fulfilling and responsible life by encouraging them to
learn independently, deal with new situations, reason
critically, think creatively, make informed decisions and
solve problems.
SCIENCE EDUCATION
Through science activities, students should develop an interest in
science and thus they will be motivated to become active learners
in science. Students should also develop an understanding of the
interrelationship between science, technology, society and
environment (STSE), and strengthen the ability to integrate and
apply knowledge and skills across disciplines. They should be
able to meet the changes and challenges in the ever developing
society and contribute towards the scientific and technological
world.
Students with high ability or a strong interest in science need
more challenging learning programs. These programs should
stretch the students' science capabilities and offer opportunities for
students to develop their potential to the full.
FEMALE ROLE-MODELS
Although the proportion of research with
feminist and gender perspectives in science
education is marginal in comparison to the
areas that have dominated the field, there have
been strong and insistent voices which in
various ways have made themselves heard
over the last several decades.
FEMALE ROLE-MODELS
Jane Butler Kahle’s impressive engagement within science
education makes her an outstanding key contributor of the
field. Some of Jane’s achievements include being Principal
Investigator for more than fifty funded research and training
grants, mentoring science educators, and conducting equity
and science education work with numerous science teachers,
school district personal and faculty. Especially relevant is
that she has mentored, supported, advised and been a role-
model for many female scholars in science education. An
overview of her achievements is given by Kathryn
Scantlebury in the article Jane Butler Kahle: Passion,
determination, and vision.
FEMALE ROLE-MODELS
Another very important scientist and role-model is Sue
Rosser, who embodies feminist studies of science. In this
issue she contributes with a Forum piece and moreover,
her latest book Breaking into the lab. Engineering progress
for women in science is reviewed by Cathrine Hasse. Over
the years Sue Rosser has strived to change science
cultures, she has addressed the need for visualizing female
scientists, their contributions and the barriers keeping
them from progressing in science. In the book she shares
her experiences as a female scientist, including
documentation of different type of discriminations.

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FEMINISM AND SCIENCE

JOANALLY R. BAGOYO MSE GEN SCI

 Charles Fourier, a Utopian Socialist and

 The words “feminisme” and “Feminist” first

1. Working to increase equality.

 Feminist thought links

Feminists feel that

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