Science for whom? Case studies of two male primary school student teachers’ constructions of themselves as teachers of science

This paper investigates intersections of gender and the teaching and learning of science in case studies of two male primary school student teachers, exploring how these student teachers negotiate identities as teachers of science. The project works from dual theoretical starting points. Firstly, the project is founded in a feminist post-structural understanding of gender as performative, something ‘done’ in a social context rather than an inherent characteristic of a person. Secondly, learning is, following situated learning theory, conceptualised as involving the constitution of an identity. Empirically, the paper draws on semi-structured interviews with two primary school student teachers specialising in science. The paper explores the two student teachers’ classed and gendered interpretations of school science, in particular how they use these interpretations as a means for them as male teachers to fit into the primary teacher role with its feminine connotations. Finally, some implications for teacher education are discussed.