[Maths-Education] Call for papers: conference on maths-technology-gender

[Anna Chronaki]

Dear colleagues 
here you can find a call-for-papers for a conference we organise at the University of Thessaly
as part of our responsibility in finalising a research program.
Conference main language is English and we aim for international participation.
More details can be found below.
Regards,
Anna Chronaki.


International Conference
Call for Papers
MATHEMATICS AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE BODY OF EDUCATION:  THE GENDER PERSPECTIVE
18-19 December 2007, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece

Conference Focus
Sciences and in particular technology and mathematics embody the modernist dream of power, progress and development through either educational and/or everyday practices that aim to tame the human body and to cultivate the mind towards the capacity of logical thinking. There is growing evidence that people have limited participation in studying mathematics and technology due to gender, ethnicity and class. In particular, sciences and education –as human science- are seen as two distinct and dichotomized worlds. Whilst scientific practices are being viewed as ‘hard’ and masculine, education is approached as ‘soft’ and feminine. What is, then, happening when mathematics and technology, two traditionally masculine fields of knowledge, enter the ‘body’ of education? Do they remain ‘masculine’ bodies of knowledge or do they become feminized or even hybrid subject areas? What might be the effects of a ‘masculine’, ‘feminine’ or ‘hybrid’ approach on science teaching and learning, as well as on human minds and bodies? How dominant scientific discourses are being re-contextualised in educational practices and how a gendered analysis can assist efforts in realizing hybridity, diversity, dialogicality as alternative voices in school science?
The conference is part of a research project that addresses the issue of school mathematics and technology and aims to address the current thinking and research on gender, mathematics and technology as they interact within the body of education. The scope of the conference includes –but is not limited- the topics detailed below: 
•    Embodied Approaches on Gender and/or Science 
•    Masculinities, Femininities, Hybridities and Scientific Knowledge
•    Social Perspectives, Science and Technology Studies and Critical Discourse Analysis on Gender and/or Science
•    Gendered Bodies, Identities, Subjectivities and Scientific Discourse(s)
•    Gender, Mathematics, Technology and the School Curriculum
•    Gender, Communication, Language, Discourse, Dialogue, Dialogicality and the School Curriculum
•    Gender, Race, Class and Scientific Discourse(s) in Education
•    Self-image, Self-regulation, Self-efficacy, Gender, and Sciences in Education

Keynote Speakers
Sal Restivo, Dept. of Science & Technology Studies and Information Technology Program, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY, US
Barbara Allen, Graduate Program in Science and Technology Studies, Virginia Tech, US
Heather Mendick, Institute for Policy Studies in Education, London Metropolitan University, UK

Submission of Paper-Abstracts 
The conference comprises mainly full papers. Paper abstracts of 1500 words should be submitted electronically to gmt at uth.gr by 10 October 2007.
These extended abstracts should detail the aim, the theoretical framework, the method, the main findings and the conclusions of the research work. The authors of full papers are expected to give an oral presentation of about 20 minutes

Important Dates
10 October 2007      Submission of paper abstracts 
30 October 2007      Notification of paper acceptance
10 November 2007  Final conference program

Conference Organizing Committee
Anna Chronaki, Associate Professor, University of Thessaly, Department of Early Childhood Education,  Greece  
Maria Rentetzi,	Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens, Greece
Anastasia Stamou, Adjunct Lecturer, University of Western Macedonia, Department of Early Childhood Education, Florina, Greece
Ioanna Vekiri, Adjunct Lecturer, University of Thessaly, Department of Primary Education, Greece
Ioannis Pextelidis, Lecturer, University of Thessaly, Department of Early Childhood Education, Greece

Secretariat
Aggeliki Zioga, agzioga at uth.gr

Conference Venue
Τhe conference takes place and is hosted by the University of Thessaly, Volos, http://www.uth.gr/

Contact 
Email: 	gmt at uth.gr
Web: 	http://gmt.ece.uth.gr/

The conference is sponsored by Pythagoras I, Greek Ministry of Education Research Grand (2004-2007)