The Emotional Valence of Hyperrationality in STEM Learning: Reinscriptions and Contestations of Coloniality.
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| Title: | The Emotional Valence of Hyperrationality in STEM Learning: Reinscriptions and Contestations of Coloniality. |
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| Authors: | Davis, Natalie R.1 (AUTHOR) davisnat@umich.edu, Philip, Thomas M.2 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Science Education. Jan2026, Vol. 110 Issue 1, p269-285. 17p. |
| Subject Terms: | *STEM education, *Social problems, *Critical thinking, *Education ethics, Dignity, Mental orientation, Colonies |
| Abstract: | As part of the special issue Centering Affect and Emotion Toward Justice and Dignity in Science Education, this paper examines the emergence and performance of hyperrationality in STEM classrooms. Hyperrationality describes verbal and embodied expressions whereby learners try to maintain an appearance of neutrality and emotional distance to give credence to political, socioscientific convictions, even under conditions where complete emotional detachment would be unconscionable. Hyperrationality in STEM learning environments poses a threat to human dignity (Espinoza et al. 2020) by reinscribing approaches to STEM that devalue the lives and lived experiences of those "othered". We present a comparative analysis of cases taken from our respective (individual) studies focused on ethics, historicity, politics, and STEM learning. The first case is drawn from an undergraduate engineering ethics class discussion of militarized drones. The second case is from a year‐long socioscientific unit on water enacted with Black children in a city wrestling with water shut‐offs. In our analysis of these two cases, we consider how hyperrationality, the ungrievability of the other and racialized fear become components of interpretative repertoires that learners co‐construct to compartmentalize and/or partially reconcile the inherent contradictions arising from these entanglements. Our cases evidence the emotional configurations of colonality that reinscribe imperialism, while also recognizing when/how nondominant communities resist these logics as they surface in STEM classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Science Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 190305603 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: The Emotional Valence of Hyperrationality in STEM Learning: Reinscriptions and Contestations of Coloniality. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Davis%2C+Natalie+R%2E%22">Davis, Natalie R.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> davisnat@umich.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Philip%2C+Thomas+M%2E%22">Philip, Thomas M.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science+Education%22">Science Education</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 110 Issue 1, p269-285. 17p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22STEM+education%22">STEM education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+problems%22">Social problems</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+thinking%22">Critical thinking</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education+ethics%22">Education ethics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Dignity%22">Dignity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+orientation%22">Mental orientation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Colonies%22">Colonies</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: As part of the special issue Centering Affect and Emotion Toward Justice and Dignity in Science Education, this paper examines the emergence and performance of hyperrationality in STEM classrooms. Hyperrationality describes verbal and embodied expressions whereby learners try to maintain an appearance of neutrality and emotional distance to give credence to political, socioscientific convictions, even under conditions where complete emotional detachment would be unconscionable. Hyperrationality in STEM learning environments poses a threat to human dignity (Espinoza et al. 2020) by reinscribing approaches to STEM that devalue the lives and lived experiences of those "othered". We present a comparative analysis of cases taken from our respective (individual) studies focused on ethics, historicity, politics, and STEM learning. The first case is drawn from an undergraduate engineering ethics class discussion of militarized drones. The second case is from a year‐long socioscientific unit on water enacted with Black children in a city wrestling with water shut‐offs. In our analysis of these two cases, we consider how hyperrationality, the ungrievability of the other and racialized fear become components of interpretative repertoires that learners co‐construct to compartmentalize and/or partially reconcile the inherent contradictions arising from these entanglements. Our cases evidence the emotional configurations of colonality that reinscribe imperialism, while also recognizing when/how nondominant communities resist these logics as they surface in STEM classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Science Education is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1002/sce.21959 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 17 StartPage: 269 Subjects: – SubjectFull: STEM education Type: general – SubjectFull: Social problems Type: general – SubjectFull: Critical thinking Type: general – SubjectFull: Education ethics Type: general – SubjectFull: Dignity Type: general – SubjectFull: Mental orientation Type: general – SubjectFull: Colonies Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: The Emotional Valence of Hyperrationality in STEM Learning: Reinscriptions and Contestations of Coloniality. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Davis, Natalie R. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Philip, Thomas M. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Text: Jan2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00368326 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 110 – Type: issue Value: 1 Titles: – TitleFull: Science Education Type: main |
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