Girls and Science
Girls can, and do, achieve in science but once they have the choice, many decide not to
participate in science courses or seek science-based careers. Many girls view much of
school science as outside their life experience and see little use for scientific knowledge
and understanding in their future lives.
All students need to feel confident in their ability to succeed. Science education often
undervalues the contribution of girls, provides unfamiliar contexts for their learning, and
fails to develop their confidence in pursuing studies in this area.
It is important to note that the group “girls” is not homogeneous. Culture and gender
factors are inextricably linked and neither should be considered in isolation. The
particular perspectives of Maori and Pacific Islands girls should be acknowledged.
A curriculum which is gender-inclusive acknowledges and includes the educational
needs and experiences of girls equally with those of boys, both in its content and in the
language, methods, approaches, and practices of teaching.