The nature of science education: does it cause female students’ disaffection with science

Abstract

This thesis seeks to answer the question 'Why are students disaffected with science?' Students' disaffection is described in terms of their dislike for science education. Support for the idea that students dislike science is found within the literature reviewed. A possible answer is in the nature of science education. Thus rather than the problem lying with students not understanding science ideas within the education system, it may be that the science is simply impossible to understand. So a major part of the nature of science education is that it is impossible to understand. This possibility is explored with a group of 74 female Bachelor of Education students. The students' perceptions of science are explored, using a research methodology based around interviews about past events. The students’ perceptions of science were that they as students did not like it and that it was not understandable. At this point, it was decided to further interview the students after having experienced an intervention based upon making the science more understandable. These results suggest that the students now have a better understanding of science and that many of them also like it as well. These results support the raising of the question: Does the nature of science education cause female students' disaffection with science?