Sisters in Science: Teachers' Reflective Dialogue on Confronting the Gender Gap

Sisters in Science, like many other programs aimed at fostering girls' interest and achievement in science, is designed to encourage more girls and women to prepare for the careers in math, science, and technology that will dominate the 21st century. One of the foci of Sisters in Science was on the role of teachers as decisionmakers in promoting science literacy for all students. The overall goal was to familiarize teachers with reform initiatives in science education and to chart their progress as change agents of gender equity in the classroom. Twenty-one teachers from seven different schools located in Philadelphia's inner city participated in the program during the 1997-1998 academic year. This paper reports on teachers' reflections and dialogue concerning their conception changes of teaching and mathematics as they confront the issue of equitable practice.