What kind of a girl does science? The construction of school science identities

Abstract: A view of science as a culturally-mediated way of thinking and knowing suggests that learn-ing can be defined as engagement with scientific practices. How students engage in school science is in-fluenced by whether and how students view themselves and whether or not they are the kind of person who engages in science. It is therefore crucial to understand students ’ identities and how they do or do not overlap with school science identities. In this paper, we describe four middle school African American girls ’ engagement with science. They were selected in the 7th grade because they expressed a fondness for science in school or because they had science-related hobbies outside of school. The data were collected from the following sources: interviews of students, their parents and their teachers; observations in science classes; journal writing; and focus groups. These girls ’ stories provide us with a better understanding of the variety of ways girls choose to engage in science and how this engagement is shaped by their view