“They have a lot more freedom than they know”: science education as a space for radical openness

While much research has examined the impact that neoliberal reforms have had on education, very little research has examined science teachers/teaching in particular. In this article, we share findings from a longitudinal study with 9 public school science teachers in Arizona, USA. We argue that neoliberal reforms have positioned science classrooms and science teachers as high potential sites of/for resistance to neoliberalism. We identify two factors as particularly influential in shaping the way in which science teachers resist neoliberal reforms: (1) the marginalization of science within the structure of school and teacher assessments; and (2) widespread (science) teacher shortages.