STEM DEVELOPMENT: PREDICTORS FOR 6TH-12TH GRADE GIRLS<sup>™</sup>INTEREST AND CONFIDENCE IN SCIENCE AND MATH

Heaverlo, Carol; Cooper, Robyn; Lannan, Frankie Santos

doi:10.1615/jwomenminorscieneng.2013006464

Cited by 32 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…In particular, there is evidence that gender identity becomes more salient during adolescence ( Galambos et al 1990 ). For girls compared to boys, greater gender identity salience can result in lower self-esteem, and reduced confidence across many social and psychological domains ( Orenstein 2013 ), including confidence in science and math ( Heaverlo et al 2013 ). Biased self-assessments may also emerge from implicit and explicit biases in the U.S. and other western European countries where there is a widely held cultural belief that boys are better at science (and math) than girls ( Nosek et al 2009 ; Cai et al 2016 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science Possible Selves and the Desire to be a Scientist: Mindsets, Gender Bias, and Confidence during Early Adolescence

et al. 2017

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In the United States, gender gaps in science interest widen during the middle school years. Recent research on adults shows that gender gaps in some academic fields are associated with mindsets about ability and gender-science biases. In a sample of 529 students in a U.S. middle school, we assess how explicit boy-science bias, science confidence, science possible self (belief in being able to become a scientist), and desire to be a scientist vary by gender. Guided by theories and prior research, we use a series of multivariate logistic regression models to examine the relationships between mindsets about ability and these variables. We control for self-reported science grades, social capital, and race/ethnic minority status. Results show that seeing academic ability as innate (“fixed mindsets”) is associated with boy-science bias, and that younger girls have less boy-science bias than older girls. Fixed mindsets and boy-science bias are both negatively associated with a science possible self; science confidence is positively associated with a science possible self. In the final model, high science confident and having a science possible self are positively associated with a desire to be a scientist. Facilitating growth mindsets and countering boy-science bias in middle school may be fruitful interventions for widening participation in science careers.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Science Possible Selves and the Desire to be a Scientist: Mindsets, Gender Bias, and Confidence during Early Adolescence

et al. 2017

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“…Recently, educators and researchers have focused their attention on improving STEM education among female 38 and ethno-racial minority students. 41 Some STEM classes are taught by foreign-born teachers, introducing potential language/communication challenges.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Support for immigration reduction and physician distrust in the United States

Samson

2016

SAGE Open Medicine

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Objectives:Health research indicates that physician trust in the United States has declined over the last 50 years. Paralleling this trend is a decline in social capital, with researchers finding a negative relationship between immigration-based diversity and social capital. This article examines whether physician distrust is also tied to immigration-based diversity and declining social capital.Methods:Data come from the 2012 General Social Survey, one of the gold standards of US public opinion surveys, using a national probability sample of 1080 adult US respondents. Key measures included support for reducing levels of immigration to the United States and multiple measures of physician trust.Results:The results of ordinary least squares regressions, using survey weights, indicate that support for reducing immigration is positively linked to physician distrust, bringing physician distrust into the orbit of research on diversity and declining social capital. Models controlled for age, education, income, gender, race, nativity, conservatism, unemployed status, lack of health insurance, and self-rated health. Furthermore, analyses of a subset of respondents reveal that measures of general trust and some forms of institutional trust do not explain away the association between support for immigration reduction and physician distrust, though confidence in science as an institution appears relevant.Conclusion:Consistent with diversity and social capital research, this article finds that an immigration attitude predicts physician distrust. Physician distrust may not be linked just to physician–patient interactions, the structure of the health care system, or health policies, but could also be tied to declining social trust in general.

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“…Much of the literature related to the effectiveness of out of school time or informal pipeline programming suggests the need to start early to support girls in STEM: elementary or middle school (Hughes, 2015;Leaper, 2014;Heaverlo, Cooper, & Santos Lannan, 2013;Valla & Williams, 2012;VanLeuvan, 2004;Fadigan, & Hammrich, 2004;Clewell, 2002;Clewell & Campbell, 2002). Many of the factors that negatively influence women from choosing STEM majors and careers take shape early in a girl's life.…”

Section: Middle School As An Important Time For Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, VanLeuvan (2004) found that girls' interest in math and science dropped by about 15% between middle and high school. Moreover, low confidence and selfefficacy in STEM subjects form as early as grade six (Heaverlo et al, 2013). Early intervention to mitigate negative influences can ultimately have an effect on a women's choice to enter STEM (Young, Ortiz, & Young 2017;Bieri Buschor, Berweber, Keck Frei, & Kappler, 2014;Hughes, 2015;Wang & Degol, 2013;Heaverlo et al, 2013).…”

Section: Middle School As An Important Time For Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A middle school engineering outreach program for girls yields STEM undergraduates

Demetry

Sontgerath

2017 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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, use of educational technology, K-12 engineering outreach, and intercultural learning in experiential education abroad. As director of the Morgan Center at WPI since 2006, Demetry coordinates programs and services fostering excellence and innovation in teaching at WPI and supports course-based and program-level assessment of student learning outcomes. Many engineering units within universities continue to work toward gender parity among their undergraduates. One strategy is to offer STEM enrichment programs for young women. Experts agree that middle school is an optimal time for intervention, and numerous studies show that middle school outreach programs for girls can enhance interest in STEM. Some universities, however, may be hesitant to invest in middle school programming without evidence of long-term impact. This study shows that rising 7 th grade girls who participated in a two-week residential engineering enrichment program at a STEM-intensive university later applied as undergraduates, were admitted, and enrolled at higher rates than a control group. The experimental design of this study is relatively unusual for middle school enrichment programs and eliminates potential bias due to self-selection or a competitive application process. Ms IntroductionThe question of diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics has been a topic of research for close to half a century. In spite of numerous efforts to diversify STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and definite progress in some disciplines, we still have a long way to go to reach gender parity, especially in engineering. In 1998, the percentage of first year college women who entered engineering was 2.7%. In 2014, that number was 5.8% of all first year women (National Science Board, 2016).While this represents a 100% increase in the representation of women among first year engineering students, it pales in comparison to overall representation of women students in four year institutions, which reached 57% in 2014. Clearly, work to increase gender diversity in engineering must continue (Pryor, Hurtado, Saenz, Santos & Korn 2007; National Research Council, 2006).The paucity of women in engineering is particularly evident at technical institutions where most students major in a STEM discipline. As such, these institutions face a significant gender disparity in their student populations. For example, at the university where this research was conducted, approximately 96% of undergraduates are working toward degrees in engineering, the natural sciences, mathematics, or computer science. Thirty-three percent of the student body is female. These data are typical for most of our peer technological institutions with similar offerings and is consistent with national data which indicate that 25.8% of first year women intend on majoring in STEM disciplines, with a breakdown as follows: biological/agricultural sciences (15.8%), mathematics and computer science (2.1%), physical sciences (2.1%), and engineering (5.8%) (National Science Boar...

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STEM DEVELOPMENT: PREDICTORS FOR 6TH-12TH GRADE GIRLS^™INTEREST AND CONFIDENCE IN SCIENCE AND MATH

Cited by 32 publications

References 42 publications

Science Possible Selves and the Desire to be a Scientist: Mindsets, Gender Bias, and Confidence during Early Adolescence

Science Possible Selves and the Desire to be a Scientist: Mindsets, Gender Bias, and Confidence during Early Adolescence

Support for immigration reduction and physician distrust in the United States

A middle school engineering outreach program for girls yields STEM undergraduates

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STEM DEVELOPMENT: PREDICTORS FOR 6TH-12TH GRADE GIRLS™INTEREST AND CONFIDENCE IN SCIENCE AND MATH

Cited by 32 publications

References 42 publications

Science Possible Selves and the Desire to be a Scientist: Mindsets, Gender Bias, and Confidence during Early Adolescence

Science Possible Selves and the Desire to be a Scientist: Mindsets, Gender Bias, and Confidence during Early Adolescence

Support for immigration reduction and physician distrust in the United States

A middle school engineering outreach program for girls yields STEM undergraduates

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

STEM DEVELOPMENT: PREDICTORS FOR 6TH-12TH GRADE GIRLS^™INTEREST AND CONFIDENCE IN SCIENCE AND MATH