How Educational Leaders Think About Intersections of Identities and Disciplinary Learning in Science

ABSTRACT American science education leaders play critical roles in promoting equity in education, but little is known about how they understand everyday classroom interactions where inequities related to intersectionality are evident. This study examines science leaders' sensemaking about a scenario depicting the experiences of a group of American Black girl elementary students in an engineering design lesson, focusing on what leaders notice and how they propose to intervene to address problematic aspects of the students' experience. The responses were part of a survey given to a purposeful sample of 140 science education leaders from 18 states and analyzed by a team guided by an understanding of science as embedded within intersectional systems of oppression linked to race and racism, and gender and sexism. Most leaders noticed the students' experience was problematic; however, few respondents remarked on how racism or sexism might explain the students' experience. Most proposed interventions only with students or teachers, rather than addressing larger systemic issues that might have contributed to the situation. Our data suggest opportunities to support science education leaders and educators to have conversations that develop intersectional interpretations of everyday classroom practices and dynamics, as part of their efforts to promote equity in education.