”Lärare för förändring – att synliggöra och utmana föreställningar om naturvetenskap och genus”.

The purpose of this dissertation is to visualise, clarify and challenge child carers’ and teachers’ perceptions of natural science and gender, and to analyse and describe in what ways action research can contribute to increasing awareness of gender at daycare centres and at schools. The author refers to the fact that previous research shows that child carers’ and teachers’ preconceptions or prejudices with regard to gender are important for how children relate to natural-science subjects.

The study shows that it is necessary to question the way natural science and gender are connected. The author concludes that it is crucial to challenge existing conceptions of gender, and that these challenges result in verbalisation and clarification of these preconceptions. Using feminist critique of science and feminist pedagogy can facilitate an alternative approach to learning and teaching in natural science. For child carers without a natural-science background, but who carry out activities within natural science, the didactic and pedagogical competences they already possess become a point of departure in developing their didactic skills within natural science.

Two methodological approaches have been used in this dissertation. First, the author has worked with a group of child carers and teachers from pre-school class to the 6th year of public basic school in a longitudinal action research project. The group consisted of three child carers, one carer from an after-school centre and one maths and science teacher. The project ran from 2007-2009 and entailed that the group met once a month for a two-hour seminar. At total of 19 seminars were held, and these were all recorded and subsequently transcribed. The second methodological approach was that the author asked 14 experienced child carers and teachers, who took part in an education/training course, to write down their reflections on certain situations from their work. Afterwards they read texts that discuss gender-theoretical concepts, and once again they were asked to analyse the situations.

Andersson, K. (2011). ”Lärare för förändring – att synliggöra och utmana föreställningar om naturvetenskap och genus”. Norrköping: Institutionen för samhälls- och välfärdsstudier, Linköpings universitet.