1. Introduction, Auli Arvola Orlander, Martin K. Sillasen, Kathrin Otrel-Cass -- 2. Becoming of a book, Kathrin Otrel-Cass -- 3. The culture of school science inquiry put under the microscope, Lotta Leden, Jonna Wiblom -- 4. Education extended: A sociomaterialistic perspective on science education, Anna Jober -- 5. The school science lab: Hybrid space and the production of school science, Gerd Johansen -- 6. The inquiry of the Cyclops: Dewey’s scientific inquiry revisited, Lars Bang Jensen -- 7. The political in science education, Helen Hasslöf, Iann Lundegård -- 8. Political rationalities in science education: a case study of teaching  materials provided by external actors, Maria Andrée, Lena Hansson, Malin Ideland -- 9. What’s in it for me? – How does a professional development programme meet science teachers’ career expectations, Peer S. Daugbjerg, Martin K. Sillasen -- 10. Enacting citizenship in ordinary school science through deliberative communication, Gerd Johansen, Guðrún Jónsdóttir, Stein Dankert Kolstø -- 11. Troubling the social: Entanglement, agency and the body in science education, Marianne Løken, Margareta Serder -- 12. Toward an understanding of diffractive readings of narratives in the field of science education, Auli Arvola Orlander, Marie Ståhl -- 13. Troubling norms and values in science teaching through students’ subject positions using feminist figurations, Marie Ståhl -- 14. Sensory science education, Kathrin Otrel-Cass -- 15. Troubling science education and imagining possibilities for transformation: An afterword, Christina Siry.

This book presents a collection of critical thinking that concern cultural, social and political issues for science education in the Nordic countries. The chapter authors describe specific scenarios to challenge persisting views, interrogate frameworks and trouble contemporary approaches to researching teaching and learning in science. Taking a point of departure in empirical examples from the Nordic countries the collection of work is taking a critical sideways glance at the Nordic education principles. Critical examinations target specifically those who are researching in the fields of science education research to question whether conventional research approaches, foci and theoretical approaches are sufficient in a world of science education that is neither politically neutral, nor free of cultural values.  Attention is not only on the individual learner but on the cultural, social and political conditions and contexts in science education. The different chapters review debates and research in teacher education, school teaching and learning including when external stakeholders are involved. Even though the chapters are contextualized in Nordic settings there will be similarities and parallels that will be informative to the international science education research community.