This paper reports action research that focuses on gender as a social influence on learning through literacies such as listening, speaking, reading and writing, and orality. Data were collected in three physics classes taught by two teachers, one male and one female, representing three levels of physics. Teachers and researchers worked together in formulating related questions for study, developing questionnaires, and reacting to and analyzing data. The data from the two years of observation in secondary science classes suggest that: (1) behaviors that characterize gender disparity in science include those previously identified in the literature; (2) students are well aware of gender bias in their classrooms; (3) learning in science is influenced by the perceptions and expectations of both teachers and students; (4) gender disparity will be difficult to change; and (5) putting students in small groups does not increase their participation. Contains 48 references. (DDR)