ERIC Number: EJ1239938
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 14
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1946-7109
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Using Sociotransformative Constructivism (sTc) to Unearth Gender Identity Discourses in Upper Elementary Schools
Rodriguez, Alberto J.; Zozakiewicz, Cathy
Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban Education, v3 n2 Win 2005
In this article, the authors discuss a two-year long professional development research project that took place in the borderlands of the U. S. Southwest and involved a partnership between university and local school district faculty. This intervention project, called Maxima, was designed to positively impact the attitudes and participation of culturally diverse girls (in this case mainly Latinas and Anglos) in science and mathematics. The goal was to assist teachers in making their mathematics and science classrooms more gender-inclusive, socially relevant, and student-centered. To this end, the authors used a theoretical orientation called "sociotransformative constructivism" (sTc), which unites social constructivism as a theory of learning with multiculturalism as a theory of social justice (Rodriguez, 1998, 2002). Their research focused on the following questions: (1) In what ways does an sTc orientation impact the gender identity awareness of girls over time? (2) In what ways does an sTc orientation impact the girls' attitudes toward and participation in science and mathematics classes over time? and (3) What transformative insights can be gathered through conversations with girls about gender and the role gender plays in learning within their science and mathematics classroom?
Descriptors: Constructivism (Learning), Cultural Pluralism, Sexual Identity, Females, Elementary School Students, Student Attitudes, Faculty Development, Elementary School Science, Elementary School Mathematics, Elementary School Teachers, Grade 4, Grade 5, Attitude Change, Student Behavior, Gender Differences, Sex Role, Intervention, Program Effectiveness
University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education. 3700 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. e-mail: journal@gse.upenn.edu; Web site: https://urbanedjournal.gse.upenn.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 5; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 9906339
Author Affiliations: N/A