Gender Perspectives in Science Education

This chapter focuses on how gender is performed in the context of science education, aiming to study gender and its intersection with other socio-cultural categories of students’ identity. The literature has repeatedly reported significant gender differences in science perceptions, attitudes, and experiences and their impact on science education and future STEM careers perspectives for males and females, especially in Latin American countries. The authors argue that much of the published research on gender and science education reproduces the problem by assuming, rather than examining, these differences. In addition, they discuss the need to move beyond the gender dichotomy toward a non-normative science education for gender justice.