AERA Open (Jan 2019)

Genetics and Education: Recent Developments in the Context of an Ugly History and an Uncertain Future

  • Daphne Martschenko,
  • Sam Trejo,
  • Benjamin W. Domingue

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858418810516
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5

Abstract

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Driven by our recent mapping of the human genome, genetics research is increasingly prominent and beginning to reintersect with education research. We describe previous intersections of these fields, focusing on the ways that they were harmful. We then discuss novel features of genetics research in the current era, with an emphasis on possibilities deriving from the availability of molecular genetic data and the proliferation of genome-wide association studies. We discuss both the promises and potential pitfalls resulting from the convergence of molecular genetic research and education research. The floodgates of genetic data have opened. Collaboration between those in the social and biomedical sciences; open conversation among policy makers, educators, and researchers; and public engagement will all prove critical for enacting regulations and research designs that emphasize equity.