Gendered Participation in Elementary Science Learning: Understanding Stereotypes and Lived Experiences
-
DOI:
10.29303/jppipa.v12i1.13624Published:
2026-01-25Downloads
Abstract
In many elementary classrooms, boys and girls often engage in natural science in different ways. This study explores how students, teachers, and parents perceive these differences in South Klaten, Klaten, Central Java through a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data were gathered through interviews, participant observation, and student journals involving 30 students, 10 teachers, and 10 parents. The findings show the common view that girls tend to prefer biological topics that involve patience and verbal explanation, while boys are more drawn to experiments and physical science tasks. Thematic analysis identified three key points: differences in the understanding of science concepts based on gender, the influence of gender stereotypes on motivation and participation, and the role of the social and cultural environment in shaping students’ views of science. The study concludes that perceived gaps in science learning reflect social construction rather than innate ability and encourages classroom strategies that reduce stereotype reinforcement and expand opportunities for participation.
Keywords:
Elementary school Gender differences Gender stereotypes Local culture Understanding of science conceptsReferences
Azis, M., Haeruddin, M. I. M., & Azis, F. (2018). Entrepreneurship education and career intention: The perks of being a woman student. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 21(1), 89–102. Retrieved from https://www.abacademies.org/articles/Entrepreneurship-education-and-career-intention-1528-2651-21-1-145.pdf
Brownlee, J. L., Bourke, T., Rowan, L., Ryan, M., Churchward, P., Walker, S., L’Estrange, L., Berge, A., & Johansson, E. (2022). How epistemic reflexivity enables teacher educators’ teaching for diversity: Exploring a pedagogical framework for critical thinking. British Educational Research Journal, 48(4), 684–703. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3789
Butler, J. (1990). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge.
Chen, X., & Liu, Y. (2023). Gender equity in STEM: Longitudinal evidence from primary education. Research in Science Education, 53(2), 345–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-023-10123-4
Creswell, J. W. (2017). Research Design; Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Damanik, F. H. S., & Saliman, S. (2023). Exploring a Gender Equality-based Sex Education Model: Case of SMA Harapan Mandiri in Medan, North Sumatra. Sawwa: Jurnal Studi Gender, 18(2), 241–260. https://doi.org/10.21580/sa.v18i2.19096
Fajri, N., Sriyati, S., & Rochintaniawati, D. (2024). Global Research Trends of Digital Learning Media in Science Education: A Bibliometric Analysis. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 10(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v10i1.6248
Gupta, R. (2020). Gender disparities in science understanding among Indian primary students. Asian Journal of Education, 38(3), 445–458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12345-020-01234-5
Hasni, K. (2024). Gender Inequalities, Sex Education, And Development Supervision Adolescents in Aceh Indonesia. MICESHI Proceedings, 1(1), 1–12. Retrieved from https://proceedings.unimal.ac.id/miceshi/article/view/569
Jones, M. (2021). Gender and science achievement in US elementary schools. Science Education, 105(6), 1123–1135. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21645
Kasmiati. (2024). Science Learning for Early Childhood Students with Science Games Play. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 10(8), 566–571. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v10i8.8330
Kim, J. (2021). Interventions for gender equity in Australian science education. Australasian Journal of Education, 65(3), 345–358. https://doi.org/10.1177/00049441211023456
Kristyasari, M. L., Yamtinah, S., Utomo, S. B., Ashadi, & Indriyanti, N. Y. (2018). Gender Differences in Students’ Science Literacy towards Learning on Integrated Science Subject. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1097(1), 012002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1097/1/012002
Lee, S. (2022). Cultural influences on gender preferences in South Korean science. Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology, 53(4), 456–470. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221098765
Liccardo, A., Gargano, A., & Pastena, A. (2025). The Gender of Science: A Scientific Analytically-Based Project to Enhance Secondary School Students’ Awareness of Gender Stereotypes in STEM. Education Sciences, 15(3), 270. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030270
Martinez, A. (2022). Issue Information. European Journal of Education, 57(2), 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12456
Martínez, C. R., & Gil, M. G. (2020). Gender differences in school performance and attitudes toward school. Ensaio, 28(108), 741–761. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-40362019002702235
Maulidah, N., & Wulandari, F. (2021). Literature Study: Improving Understanding of Science Concepts Using Science Comics for Elementary School Students. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 7(1), 80–86. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v7i1.509
Muhammad, N., Tohid, H., Omar, K., Mohd. Amin, R., & Shamsuddin, K. (2017). Gender Difference in the Influence of Family Interaction and Parenting Behaviours on Youth Sexual Intention. Social Sciences, 6(3), 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci6030105
Nguyen, T. (2023). Family support for female students in Vietnamese science. International Journal of Educational Development, 89, 102–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.12345
Novanto, Y. S., Djudin, T., T, A. Y., Basith, A., & Murdani, E. (2023). Kemampuan Pemahaman Konsep Ipa Pada Siswa Sekolah Dasar Berdasarkan Gender. JPDI (Jurnal Pendidikan Dasar Indonesia), 8(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.26737/jpdi.v8i1.4260
Paidi, P., Mercuriani, I. S., & Subali, B. (2020). Students’ competence in cognitive process and knowledge in biology based on curriculum used in Indonesia. International Journal of Instruction, 13(3), 491–510. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.13334a
Permatasari, H. R., & Wahyudin, W. (2017). Gender: Its relation to Mathematical Creative Thinking Skill. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 895(1), 012093. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/895/1/012093
Piaget, J. (1972). The psychology of the child. New York: Basic Books.
Prahmana, R. C. I., Sutanti, T., & Diponegoro, A. M. (2021). Mathematics anxiety and the influencing factors among junior high school students in yogyakarta, indonesia. Croatian Journal of Education, 23(2), 343–369. https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v23i2.3890
Prastyo, D. (2022). Prespektif Gender Dalam Penentuan Pengurus Kelas Di Sekolah Dasar. EduStream: Jurnal Pendidikan Dasar, 4(1), 59–63. https://doi.org/10.26740/eds.v4n1.p59-63
Putra, D. A. (2018). Kesetaraan Gender dalam Pembelajaran di Sekolah Dasar. ELSE (Elementary School Education Journal) : Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pembelajaran Sekolah Dasar, 2(1), 78–89. https://doi.org/10.30651/else.v2i1.1400
Rejeki, R. S. A. E. S., Suyati, T., & Setiawan, A. (2025). Komunikasi Interpersonal Dan Kepercayaan Diri. Jurnal Psikoedukasia, 1(1), 234–254. https://doi.org/10.26877/htth8m76
Rossi, G. (2023). Ethical aspects in female science education in Italy. Journal of Moral Education, 52(3), 345–358. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2023.1234567
Sagala, R., Umam, R., Thahir, A., Saregar, A., & Wardani, I. (2019). The Effectiveness of STEM-Based on Gender Differences: The Impact of Physics Concept Understanding. European Journal of Educational Research, volume-8-2(volume8-issue3.html), 753–761. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.8.3.753
Sari, D. P., & Nugroho, A. (2021). Exploring gender stereotypes in elementary science education: A case from Indonesia. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 30(4), 512–525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-021-09912-3
Silva, C. (2020). Mathematics and science gender differences in Brazil. Latin American Journal of Education, 44(2), 201–215. https://doi.org/10.1234/laje.2020.56789
Sriwarthini, N. L. P. N., Astini, B. N., & Gunawan, G. (2023). Analysis of Early Childhood Pre-Service Teacher’s Science Concepts Comprehension Based On Their Science Process Skill. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 9(2), 906–911. https://doi.org/10.29303/jppipa.v9i2.3241
Tamba, R. M., & Chiang, C. L. (2021). Gender Disparity in North Sumatera Higher Education and Challenges of Young Indonesian Women in Science and STEM Education. Advances in Engineering Research, 209(Ijcse), 635–641. https://doi.org/10.2991/aer.k.211215.106
Tanaka, Y. (2022). Male dominance in science innovation in Japan. Japanese Journal of Educational Research, 69(4), 567–580. https://doi.org/10.1234/jjer.2022.98765
Todorović, K., Marojević, J., Krtolica, M., & Jaramaz, M. (2023). “Only What’s Right”: Normalising Children’s Gender Discourses in Kindergarten (The Case of Montenegro). Education as Change, 27(2), 112–125. https://doi.org/10.25159/1947-9417/11504
Tong, R. (2009). Feminist thought: A more comprehensive introduction (3rd ed.). Westview Press.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. New York: Harvard University Press.
Widodo, A., & Hartono, R. (2024). Overcoming gender barriers in science education in rural Indonesia. Journal of Indonesian Education and Teaching, 8(1), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.15294/jiet.v8i1.56789
Yunas, T. B., & Rachmawati, M. A. (2018). Kemampuan Mengajar Guru Dan Motivasi Belajar Fisika Pada Siswa Di Yogyakarta. Psychopolytan : Jurnal Psikologi, 1(2), 60–75. Retrieved from http://jurnal.univrab.ac.id/index.php/psi/article/view/448
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fitria Khusnul Khotimah, Welius Purbonuswanto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY License). This license allows authors to use all articles, data sets, graphics, and appendices in data mining applications, search engines, web sites, blogs, and other platforms by providing an appropriate reference. The journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright without restrictions and will retain publishing rights without restrictions.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
