Gender and Technology: Gender Mediation in School Knowledge Construction

This paper evolves out of a consultancy that was carried out with the European Commission over a two year period between 2001 and 2003. A working group, set within the European Commission and comprising representatives from 15 member states, as well as associated and accession countries, stakeholders and social partners involved in maths, science and technology education, was formed. Its remit was to identify good practice in maths, science and technology education across Europe and to make recommendations for policy makers in the area. One important theme which emerged during the analysis of good practice was the need to develop the type of pedagogies which would encourage the active involvement of pupils in authentic and meaningful learning experiences within these subject domains. A series of questions relating specifically to this area was therefore incorporated into the second phase of the investigation and sent out to all participating countries. Qualitative analysis of these questionnaires was carried out. Using the results of these analyses, along with information from discussions, this paper considers the situation in Europe in respect of the introduction of what are essentially social constructivist pedagogies in the field of technology and science education. It explores some of the attempts which have been made to implement such pedagogies and more importantly the barriers to their introduction which have been identified in most countries across Europe. A consideration of research literature in the field is then used to promote the argument that teacher beliefs or theories are a crucial factor in preventing change. The role of these theories in presenting barriers to change are discussed and the implications for both policy makers and for initial teacher education are analysed.

Section: Initial Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The need to change pedagogies in science and technology subjects: a European perspective

Dow

2006

“…Gender differences in attitudes toward technology have long been a concern in education, and research indicates that a gender gap still persists (e.g. Bain and Rice 2006;Cai et al 2017;Murphy 2006;Nisbet et al 1998;Svenningsson et al 2018;Volk and Ming 1999;Volman et al 1995). The norm has been that men are expected to have a higher degree of knowledge in technology as well as confidence with technological artefacts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology in children’s picture books as an agent for reinforcing or challenging traditional gender stereotypes

Axell

Boström

2019

Technology is a field with strong connections to the female/male dichotomy. Children start to stereotype everyday life regarding this dichotomy as early as the age of two. The preschool, through its activities-among them reading aloud from picture books-is an arena where societal norms can be either preserved or challenged. Books about different artefacts, e.g. cars, airplanes and boats, often serve as an introduction for children about the human application of technology and may influence how they identify and categorise the technology they encounter in everyday life. The aim of this study was to investigate the technological content in a selection of picture books from a gender perspective. Since preschools in Sweden often use books from libraries in their daily activities, the empirical material was derived from the library sections Facts for youngsters and Technology for youngsters, aimed at children aged 1-3 and 3-6. A thematic analysis was used to discover the dominant themes within the books. The results show that there is a focus on how separate artefacts function but no detailed explanation of how these artefacts are connected or what kind of implications they have in a societal context. There also seems to be an emphasis on traditionally masculine coded technology.

“…It is this latter context that takes account of the more normative aspects of technology and it is this context that is gaining ground in what is essentially technology education's renaissance. (Murphy 2006;Paechter 1998Paechter , 2007.…”

Section: Constructing Technology's Masculinitymentioning

confidence: 99%

De-constructing technology’s masculinity

Dakers

Dow

McNamee³

2009

Several studies conducted by the European Union (e.g., Eurostat 2004, Implementation of ''education & training 2010'' work programme) demonstrate that women and girls are consistently significantly underrepresented in technological education, areas, and jobs. This is highlighted in the Joint Interim Report ''Education and Training 2010'' by the European Commission under the domain of Maths, Science and Technology (MST). The joint report highlights the persistent shortage of women in technical fields and calls on Member States to encourage the development of a technical culture among its citizens. In particular, it was recommended that action be taken to motivate young people, especially girls, to undertake scientific and technical studies and careers. In this paper we will explore issues related to the delivery of technology education in the middle and secondary school sectors. Other papers in this special edition consider various curricula from around Europe and offer an analysis of early years and primary education in this respect. We do not intend to undertake an in-depth analysis of technology education curricula in the secondary sector but will, rather, explore the kinds of perceptions that are held by school students about technology and technology education when they enter into the secondary stages. We will argue that technology education is perceived to be masculine in nature, procedural in delivery and lacking in any conceptual dimension. This, we will claim, serves to restrict female interest in the subject. We will also discuss a case study undertaken in the name of the UPDATE project that attempts to redress this imbalance. It should be noted, however, that whilst the emphasis in this paper is on the female, it must be acknowledged that the same conclusions will also hold for many males.