The changing face of women in physics in Ghana

Andam, Aba Bentil; Amponsah, Prince Ofori; Nsiah-Akoto, Irene; Gyamfi, K.; Hood, Christiana Odumah

doi:10.1063/1.4794241

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…Targeted empowerment programs that engage, motivate, and expose girls to female STEM career professionals may help sustain girls' STEM interest, but there needs to be greater effort in this regard. In Ghana, the STME Clinics initiated in the late 1980s to expose more girls to female scientists may have narrowed the gender gap in the pursuit of STEM careers (Andam et al 2013). Nonetheless, findings from our predictive margins, which forecast that over time boys overtake girls marginally, should caution educators and policymakers to ensure that STEM interventions such as STME Clinics build in long-term measures to sustain girls' interest, motivation, and efforts in STEM.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…These communities teach girls obedience, cooperation, and other skills that may help them to fit into the school routines and cultural gender expectations (Hill and Tyson 2009;Hyde 2005;Legewie and DiPrete 2014;Riegle-Crumb and Humphries 2012). Similar to socialization, psychological barriers can limit female students' STEM participation (Andam et al 2013). Self-efficacy, or belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations, may predict adolescent girls' performance in STEM subjects (Adedokun et al 2013;Beilock et al 2010).…”

Section: Explanations For Disparities In Stem Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Social Support and Psychological Well-Being in STEM Performance Trends across Gender and Locality: Evidence from Ghana

et al. 2020

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This study focuses on trends in STEM performance and inclusiveness. We examine performance trajectories in STEM subjects, the predictive role of social support and psychological well-being of students, and variations across student gender and school locality (rural vs urban). We used three waves of data from 135 junior high school students in Ghana. Multilevel growth curve modeling was used to assess the trajectories and the socio-environmental predictors of STEM performance, and posthoc power calculation was used to confirm the adequacy of the sample size. Results show that overall, students' STEM performance improves over time. Minimal gender differences exist but depend on the subject area and evolve with time. We observed a nuanced "urban advantage," with rural students starting well but declining over time. Among various indicators of social support and psychological well-being, teacher support was the strongest positive predictor of STEM performance. The study highlights the need to focus on the structural and cultural impediments to STEM education at the lower levels of education in order not to risk excluding marginalized groups early in the education system. Further, STEM interventions may do well to incorporate long-term measures to sustain girls' interest, motivation, and efforts in STEM.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%