Given present society, an underrepresentation of socially categorized groups like migrants and females in science is apparent. Mostly, arguments for promotion measures reason in a utilitarian view, that is, tapping human resources for economic and technological competitiveness and progress. By employing the approach discourse analysis, I identify a lack of science education research from a socio-cultural perspective. Taking into account human rights, gender studies, cultural studies, and post-colonial perspectives, I develop an analytical framework for identifying barriers, which hamper the access to science education, from a multidisciplinary and intersectional perspective. Assuming the human right to education equally applying to science education, this allows analysing the access to science education on the basis of the same structural elements, as used for characterizing the access to education in general. Taking into account social categories of difference (e.g., gender, race, class, body) as well as multiple discrimination on different levels, an intersectional view on the access to science education is provided. Bringing together these two analytical frameworks, I adapt them to the field of science education and propose a model of a multi-factorially determined access to science education.

I denote this specific perspective as Reflexive Science Education characterized by (i), a normative orientation on non-discrimination, (ii), a critical reflection, and (iii), a critical attitude towards the interrelation between hegemony and science education. Taking into account the Critical Language Awareness, I conceptualize the critical language awareness of science teachers making selection and exclusion by means of language accessible to professional critical reflection. Finally, the framework of Reflexive Science Education is applied to practice. For practical use in science-teacher trainings, I present a concept for simulating othering and pin down that it allows activating the power domain of language awareness. On an instructional level, providing additional vocabulary is identified to show a positive effect on students' texts, which, from the human-rights view, equals empowerment of students. On the level of educational standards, I develop a grid for identifying language objectives implied in science educational standards. All these examples aim at illustrating the role of taking a reflexive perspective to science education.