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VOL. 8, ISSUE 2 (2026)
Language, power, and science education: Sociological study of scientific vocabulary and classroom inequality in Odisha
Authors
Aniruddha Naik, Abhas Kumar Ganda
Abstract
Science education is
often presented as universal, objective, and culturally neutral. However, the
language through which science is communicated within classrooms and textbooks
can produce significant educational inequalities. This paper examines how scientific
jargon, technical vocabulary, and English-derived scientific language shape
students’ experiences of science education in Odisha government schools.
Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of linguistic capital and symbolic
violence alongside sociological perspectives on science education, the study
analyses how language functions as a mechanism of inclusion and exclusion
within science classrooms. Using qualitative data from classroom observations,
student interactions, and interviews conducted in government schools in Odisha,
the paper demonstrates that many students, particularly those from rural,
non-English-speaking, lower-class, and female backgrounds, experience science
as linguistically distant and intellectually intimidating. Scientific terminologies
and textbook language often remain disconnected from students’ everyday
linguistic worlds, contributing to fear, low participation, rote memorisation,
and declining interest in science subjects. The paper argues that science
education in India cannot be understood independently from questions of
language, class, gender, and cultural capital. The study contributes to debates
on the sociology of science education, language inequality, and educational
exclusion in postcolonial schooling contexts.
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Pages:13-16
How to cite this article:
Aniruddha Naik, Abhas Kumar Ganda "Language, power, and science education: Sociological study of scientific vocabulary and classroom inequality in Odisha". International Journal of Educational Research and Studies, Vol 8, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 13-16
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