Reproduction of Inequalities in the Teaching and Learning of Science

Being good at science is a qualification needed to reach prestigious higher education and societal positions. Since the pass rate in the science subjects is lower than in other school subjects and failure in school science subjects is correlated to low social class, it has been showed that science is a factor in the reproduction of an unequal society. The way science is taught and learned in schools thereby contributes to an unjust society where children from e.g. disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds have less chance to succeed. Thus, the overall aim of my research is to contribute to our understanding of how school science reproduces unequal structures in society. Data were collected at Swedish compulsory schools with ethnographic methods. Results were discussed and analysed using concepts derived from Bourdieu and Bernstein. Preliminary findings indicate that habitus play a role in the science classroom and influence how students react and respond to teaching instructions, goals and criteria. Moreover, the first analysis point out that when framing is weak, student with inappropriate cultural capital fails