Toward a gender-sensitive model of science teacher education for women primary and early childhood teachers

Breaking the cycle: Preparing elementary teachers to teach science

“…Ina review ofpreservice science education courses, Skamp (1988) and Bearlin (1990) found a predominance of curriculum based, learner-centered units emphasizing the teaching and learning ofscience for young children. Most ofthese units were based on the assumption that low self confidence could be attributed to previous experience of science as a fixed body of knowledge and to gender role socialization (Bearlin, 1990).…”

“…The majority of those who chose the science major believed that increased confidence and renewed interest in science influenced their choice. Increased confidence apparently developed from an increase in the amount and accuracy of teachers' science knowledge (Bearlin 1990).…”

“…Tobin and Garnett (1984) highlighted the importance of concrete activity in workshop situations for preservice teachers with poor abstract reasoning skills and little background in the physical sciences. Bearlin (1990) indicated the need to directly address the masculine image of science by having an explicit feminine perspective integral and formative of all parts of the preparation of elementary science teachers.…”

Research report: Gender differences in primary teachers’ self-estimates of their competence to teach national curriculum science

“…Difficulties concerning the selective effectiveness of in-service activities for the continuing professional development of primary teachers in science are compounded further by the gender dimension suggested in our data. In Australia these issues are taken up by the Schools Council report Teacher Quality (1989: 48-49), and by Bearlin, Annice and Elvin (1988), serving to confirm the pervasiveness of the problems revealed and their seemingly intractable nature.…”

Identificación y caracterización de las creencias de docentes hombres y mujeres acerca de la relación ciencia - género en la educación científica

“…Dentro de este modelo de género sensible se asume que, las diferencias entre estudiantes del mismo sexo podrían ser tan importantes como las que hay entre el estudiantado de otros sexos. Es decir, está centrado en el estudiantado desde una perspectiva integral y formativa en todo aspecto (Bearlin, 1990). La o el estudiante se entiende como persona diversa que construye su identidad, la cual también es parcialmente definida y limitada por otros aspectos como la raza, etnia, cultura, lenguaje y clase social.…”