Girls in Science Day: Affecting rural girls’ attitudes about science now and in the future Carmen Dixon, Ph.D . Assistant Professor Capital University Columbus, Ohio cdixon2@capital.edu
What’s the Problem? • In 2014, women earned 18.1% of computer science degrees, 38.6% of earth, atmospheric, and ocean science degrees, and 19.8% of engineering degrees (National Science Foundation, 2017). • Why is this important ? In 2017, the Economics and Statistics Administration showed that over the last decade, STEM occupations grew 24.4% while non- STEM occupations grew only 4%.
Factors Affecting Girls in Science • Girls want to feel they are contributing to society or helping people in some way. They want to use their knowledge in a socially relevant way. • Girls today have a lack of female role models in science. There is a need for mentorship for young girls interested in science. • There are still ‘barriers of the mind.’ Science is still perceived as a masculine profession along with current teaching methods in schools.
What is Girls in Science Day (GIS)? • In 2007, I took a group of girls to a big-city, university- sponsored Girls in Science program. • The girls loved it, but we had to pay entry fees, travel some distance from home, spend time locating workshop sites on an unfamiliar campus, and arrived home late. As a result, I developed a GIS program in my county for • middle school girls in 2008. In 2008, 75 girls came to GIS. In 2015, we had 95 in • attendance. Girls came from 5 public schools and one private school in Knox County, Ohio. • The program has grown! Related essay contests, GIS t- shirts, and developing research point to the success of GIS, along with its continuation to the present day.
Research Questions • 1. How does GIS affect girls’ attitudes toward science? • 2. How does GIS affect the level of girls’ interest in science?
Methodology • Each girl who participated in GIS completed a pre- survey and an identical post-survey about their attitudes and interests in science classes and in science as a career. • There were twelve questions on the survey and students indicated their level of agreement based on a 5-point Likert-type response scale. • There were also two open-ended questions about their interest in taking further science classes in high school, and about what a scientist does.
Results of Likert-type Scale Question p-value Effect Size “I am very interested in science.” 0.012 0.36 “I know what a scientist does.” <.001 0.58 “Many females are interested in science.” <.001 0.69 “I believe I could be a good scientist.” <.001 0.55 An independent sample t-test was conducted since there was no way to match the pre-survey to the post-survey. Hence, a dependent t-test was not possible.
“Are you interested in taking high school science courses?” • Yes - 79% on pre-survey vs. 87% on post-survey • Wish to prepare for science careers (30%) • Thought science was cool, fun, interesting (20%) Uncertain – 6% on pre-survey vs. 4% on post-survey • • Unsure of career they want to pursue (3% or pre and 0 on post) • Not interested – 13% on pre-survey vs. 7% on post-survey • Stated they were not good at science (5% on pre and 0 on post)
“A scientist…” • 68% studies, researches, tests, experiments, collects, observes IN GENERAL • 39% finds answers, cures, or make discoveries for society • 22% studies specific things like rocks, elements, or the universe. • 2% were uncertain what a scientist does. • Results were similar on pre- and post-surveys.
Research Questions • According to the results, GIS has a significant effect on girls’ interest and confidence in their own abilities in science. The results clearly improved in the post- survey. • Girls showed greater interest in science, and also once they saw other girls who shared this interest, they saw that many females are interested in the sciences. • Their confidence levels clearly increased as they believed they could be a good scientist.
Discussion • Girls need more exposure to female scientists, and need to be educated about the diverse work scientists do. Standards and objectives need to be realigned to include • the history of scientists and their contributions. GIS was one day a year. There are many programs that • occur more frequently like once a month, or two weeks in the summer. Would the results of those be greater? What are the longevity of these results? How long will • they last? Will the girls ultimately choose to sign up for more science classes and be attracted to a STEM career?
Limitations • The girls who participated in GIS were selected by their home school teachers. They may have been selected based on their interest in science, so many may already have had a positive feelings about science. • Socio-economic diversity was not a factor in the selection of the participants, and there was not a large amount of diversity in Knox County.
The Next Steps in Research This research should be duplicated in areas of greater • socio-economic diversity. • Selection factors for participants should include those not having a high interest in science. More programs should be developed that go beyond one • day, and set up girls with female science mentors over a longer period of time. Future studies should seek to identify girls who do not • already have considerable interest in science, and socio- economically disadvantaged girls who may not have as many opportunities.
Girls in Science continues at Capital University • In 2018, GIS was held at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, from four school districts on March 1 st . • Participants completed a modified pre- and post-survey from this experience. Data is being analyzed. • As a result of GIS, more schools have contacted Capital asking to be involved in this effort, and the researcher is working with local schools to develop programs to take GIS out to school districts who may not be able to make the trip to Capital University.
As a result of GIS • More programs should be developed that extend beyond one day so that girls may work with female science mentors over a longer period of time. • Based on these results, while working at Ohio University this researcher created a mentorship class, which paired female college science education majors with local middle school girls over a semester of meetings and activities • This researcher is exploring and researching various ‘Girls in Science clubs,’ whose programs hold events throughout the the summer and academic calendar.
As a result cont. • A science curriculum unit needs to be developed that incorporates the historical contribution of women into science on a regular basis throughout the year’s instruction. The researcher continued her research interviewing 8 girls • before attending GIS and the same 8 girls after attending GIS to examine the change in their attitudes and beliefs about being a woman in science. • The researcher interviewed 8 girls from past cohorts of GIS to examine what they are doing now, if GIS had any long term effects on them, and how those effects could be amplified.
References Economics & Statistics Administration (2017). STEM Jobs: 2017 Update. Retrieved from http://www.esa.doc.gov/reports/stem-jobs-2017-update National Science Foundation (2017). Table 5- 1. Bachelor’s degrees awarded by sex and field: 2004-14. Retrieved from https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/ static/data/tab5-1.pdf Yanowitz, K. L. & Vanderpool , S. S. (2004). Assessing girls’ reactions to science workshops. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 13 , 353-359.
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