Is science typically for White men? Is science for 'people like us'? What are the barriers and opportunities? This book explores the science career aspirations of minority ethnic students. It investigates the views, experiences and identities of British Black Caribbean, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian and Pakistani youths in relation to science.
Understanding Young People's Science Aspirations offers new evidence and understanding about how young people develop their aspirations for education, learning and, ultimately, careers in science. Integrating new findings from a major research study with a wide ranging review of existing international literature, it brings a distinctive sociological analytic lens to the field of science education. The book offers an explanation of how some young people do become dedicated to follow science, and what might be done to increase and broaden this population, exploring the need for increased scientific literacy among citizens to enable them to exercise agency and lead a life underpinned by informed decisions about their own health and their environment. Key issues considered include: why we should study young people’s science aspirations the role of families, social class and science capital in career choice the links between ethnicity, gender and science aspirations the implications for research, policy and practice. Set in the context of widespread international policy concern about the urgent need to improve, increase and diversify participation in post-16 science, this key text considers how we must encourage a supply of appropriately qualified future scientists and workers in STEM industries and ensure a high level of scientific literacy in society. It is a crucial read for all training and practicing science teachers, education researchers and academics, as well as anyone invested in the desire to help fulfil young people’s science aspirations.
This book presents an exciting and novel approach to explore the concept of the ‘ideal student’. Written in the context of higher education, the concept aims to promote a more transparent conversation about the explicit, implicit and idealistic expectations of university students. It would address concerns that implicit rules or unspoken practices can result in diverse but patterned student experiences, widening social inequalities. The concept of the ideal student can provide students, especially those less familiar or confident with higher education, with a better and clearer understanding of what is valued, expected and rewarded at university. With increasing student diversity, there is an urgent need for greater openness and awareness of the different expectations and ideals of students. The key questions explored include: •How is the ideal student imagined and envisioned? •To what extent are these constructions realistic and achievable? •Are certain students more likely to aspire, identify or embody these ideal characteristics? •Are there any features of the ideal student that are widely shared and recognised? •How do people from different social backgrounds construct their ideal student? •How can staff support students to develop desirable characteristics for university? A number of issues are unpacked as the book discusses the nuances of what it means to be a university student. The Ideal Student is written for a general audience and will be of particular interest to those working or studying in higher education, especially staff, students and senior leaders. "This clearly written and engaging book will be of interest to HE practitioners, students and researchers who want to support more inclusive learning environments." Professor Louise Archer, Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education, UCL Institute of Education, UK "This is a rigorously informed and illuminating reconsideration of the notion of the Ideal Type of student in higher education." Professor Gill Crozier DPhil, FRSA, University of Roehampton, UK "Based on solid empirical work, combining qualitative and quantitative data, the book offers an insight into the perception of whom and what the ideal student is." Professor Lars Ulriksen, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Denmark "In their well-written and clearly structured volume Wong and Chiu summarise valuable data-driven research that sheds light on the important question of what characterises the ideal student." Stefan T. Siegel & Tobias Böttger, University of Augsburg, Germany Billy Wong is an Associate Professor in Widening Participation at the Institute of Education, University of Reading. Tiffany Chiu is Senior Teaching Fellow in Educational Development at the Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship and Programme Director for the PG Cert in University Learning and Teaching at Imperial College London. She is a Senior Fellow of the HEA.
Exploring the British Indian model minority discourse, this book is the first empirical and theoretical examination of high achieving British Indian students’ lived experiences of schooling, education, teaching, and learning. Drawing from narratively styled qualitative interviews with Indian students, the chapters explore Bourdieu’s theory of practice and the concepts of capital, symbolic violence, and habitus to analyse what the contextual and empirical data reveals about the role of class background in the production or reproduction of social class. Providing thought-provoking insights into the role the English secondary education system plays in exacerbating the label of the Indian model student, the book critically examines how this label seems to at once praise, patronise, and homogenise a heterogeneous group of people who share a particular heritage. Ultimately, the book contextualises Western education and the ways in which minority ethnic students and various groups defined as ‘Other’ relate to, and connect with, education. The book will be of great interest to researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of the sociology of race and ethnicity in education, the sociology of higher education, and the marketisation of education.
In order for the United States to maintain the global leadership and competitiveness in science and technology that are critical to achieving national goals, we must invest in research, encourage innovation, and grow a strong and talented science and technology workforce. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation explores the role of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce and its value in keeping America innovative and competitive. According to the book, the U.S. labor market is projected to grow faster in science and engineering than in any other sector in the coming years, making minority participation in STEM education at all levels a national priority. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation analyzes the rate of change and the challenges the nation currently faces in developing a strong and diverse workforce. Although minorities are the fastest growing segment of the population, they are underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering. Historically, there has been a strong connection between increasing educational attainment in the United States and the growth in and global leadership of the economy. Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation suggests that the federal government, industry, and post-secondary institutions work collaboratively with K-12 schools and school systems to increase minority access to and demand for post-secondary STEM education and technical training. The book also identifies best practices and offers a comprehensive road map for increasing involvement of underrepresented minorities and improving the quality of their education. It offers recommendations that focus on academic and social support, institutional roles, teacher preparation, affordability and program development.
Will you please just listen to me? If you are a scientist, or a fan of science, have you ever wondered why your fact-based explanation of ground-breaking scientific research falls flat with family, friends, and the general public? Do you want your research to matter to society and not simply be confined to arcane discussion in academic circles? Social science communicator Anne Helen Toomey argues that science today faces a public-relations crisis due to its historic emphasis on “trickle-down research,” and she calls for a whole-scale change in how scientists engage with the world. This book is a guide for the scientific community and its allies to build public trust in science—and scientists—again. In this accessible volume, Toomey unpacks why “facts” mean different things to different people and how science-based attitudes and behaviors spread. Using humor, stories, and down-to-earth examples from her own science journey, she explains why seemingly straightforward evidence can sometimes feel irrelevant, or even threatening, to a skeptical public. This practical, how-to guide will help scientists think more carefully about the choices they make even before collecting data. It explores how researchers and others who work with science can address public distrust, communicate about uncertainty, and engage with policymakers for real-world impact. Science with Impact argues that science can—and should—make a meaningful difference in society. It offers hope and guidance to those of us who wish to take the steps to make it so.
This edited volume brings together a state-of-the-art collection of leading and emergent research on the burgeoning topic of science identities. It sets out how science identity can be productively used as a lens in understanding patterns and inequalities in science participation across different educational and international contexts. Its chapters reveal how intersections of social identities and inequalities shape participation and engagement in science. Particular attention is given to explicating issues of theory and method, identifying the potential and limitations of approaches and lacunae in existing knowledge. The book showcases research from a range of disciplinary areas, employing diverse methodological and conceptual approaches to investigate science identities across different fields and settings. The collection offers a rich and comprehensive understanding of how science identity can be used conceptually, methodologically and analytically to understand how learners and teachers relate to, and make sense of, science. It’s a valuable resource for students, researchers and academics in the field of science education and anyone who is interested in identity and education.
This collection explores the broad landscape of current and future out-of-school science learning environments. Written by leading experts and innovators in informal science learning, these thoughtful and critical essays examine the changing nature of informal institutions such as science museums, zoos, nature centers, planetariums, aquaria, and botanical gardens and their impact on science education. The book examines the learning opportunities and challenges created by community-based experiences including citizen science, makerspaces, science media, escape rooms, hobby groups, and gaming. Based on current practices, case studies, and research, the book focuses on four cross-cutting themes – inclusivity, digital engagement, community partnerships, and bridging formal and informal learning – to examine how people learn science informally. The book will be of interest to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) educators – both in and out of school – designers of science and experiential education programs, and those interested in building STEM learning ecosystems in their communities.
Science Museums in Transition: Unheard Voices considers how museums can adapt their exhibits, programs, and organizational structures to the diversity of ideas, people, and cultures that speak to modern science. This collection contains individual expressions by museum insiders addressing a range of particular perspectives – Native American, African American, Latinx, Islamic, Israeli, Danish, white North American. These reflections provide guidance to the museum community as to how their institutions can become more thoughtful, more welcoming to diverse audiences, and more cognizant of the ways that different people incorporate science into their daily lives. As a whole, the book emphasizes the need for museums to engage in dialogue with their visitors – not merely to present them with information – and to offer the opportunities to share experiences, exchange perspectives, and thereby advance science learning through a dynamic and collective process. Science Museums in Transition is intended to further discussion on how museums address the political and social ramifications of science and, as such, should be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students working in the fields of museum studies, science, anthropology, education and history. It should also be essential reading for museum professionals around the globe.
