Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science

By Dr Leigh Hoath and Heena Dave

In celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we spoke to Dr Leigh Hoath (author & Senior Professional Practice Fellow at Leeds Trinity University) and Heena Dave (author & secondary science teacher). What do they have in common other than both being women in science? They are SAGE authors, they both have – and continue to - challenge stereotypes and they both have important things to say about what it is like being a woman working in science. We asked them to put some words together around their experience in their field and here’s what they had to say…

Challenging Stereotypes

“Challenging stereotypes is key – I have crazy coloured highlights; I don’t wear a lab coat and I do MMA for fun. But I am still a scientist, a teacher, an author, and I value the need for future generations to love and want to engage with science. Science is everywhere, it cannot be ignored, and we must think about it as being for everyone, as part of the solution and in everything we do.” –Leigh Hoath

On Inspiring Others

“Being a woman in science is not as hard as it was but still harder than it ought to be! I have loved being able to engage and inspire young women at my university into a love of science and seeing the difference they make. – Leigh Hoath

In my own way I hope I have contributed to the pioneering path these women have created; empowering the next generation of women to break scientific boundaries and to collectively create a path towards equity in science. – Heena Dave

On Being Inspired

As an educator, science teacher, author, environmental biologist and Indian woman in Science, I continue to be inspired by the fearless Indian women who have broken barriers and dedicated their lives to scientific discovery. Women like Janaki Ammal, a researcher in cytogenetics and the first Indian woman to become the director of the Botanical Survey of India in 1952 and Dr Aditi Pant, a Geologist and Oceanographer who was the first Indian woman to visit Antarctica in 1983. – Heena Dave

Don’t forget to get your copy of Science Teaching in Secondary Schools (Leigh Hoath & Matthew Livesey) when it lands in May 2022 and Cracking Key Concepts in Secondary Science (Heena Dave, Adam Boxer & Gethyn Jones).

About the Authors

Featured

As a former Head of Science, Heena is an experienced Science educator and co-author of Cracking Key Concepts in Secondary Science. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Biology she started her scientific career as a Flood Warning Engineer and Research Manager with the Environment Agency. Committed to equity in education and high-quality professional development for teachers, Heena is currently a Curriculum Designer for the Teacher Development Trust and is completing a Doctorate in Education at the University of Stirling on the implementation of effective climate and sustainability education in schools.

A former teacher, Dr Leigh Hoath has worked in HE Teacher Education since 2006 and is now a Senior Professional Practice Fellow at Leeds Trinity University where she leads science education across the primary and secondary age phases, as well as developing CPD, knowledge exchange and research in this area. She is the education consultant for the world’s largest chemical company, BASF, and for BBCTeach where she has most recently developed their latest educational resources for The Regenerators campaign. Prior to this she worked with the Blue Planet Live team to support teaching and learning associated with the production. Leigh is the former editor of the Association for Science Education’s Primary Science journal and an active member of the Association as a Trustee, member of Education Group and Chair of their Publications Group as well as an author, regular conference presenter and all round educational enthusiast.