Saturday, December 3, 2016

Study: Inclusive Environment Key to Closing STEM Gap

Study: Inclusive Environment Key to Closing STEM Gap




Title: Study: Inclusive Environment Key to Closing STEM Gap
By Gaby Galvin November 23rd 2016

http://www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2016-11-23/study-girls-less-interested-in-stem-fields-perceived-as-masculine

Key Points - Getting young women involved in science and technology can be a daunting concept for both the teacher and the students. Despite how the number of women in the areas of science concerning chemistry, mathematics, and biology has experienced an increase, areas such as engineering and computer sciences have only seen the gender gap get wider. "An overwhelmingly masculine environment is one that conveys a stronger sense of belonging for males and increases the interest, participation and performance of boys to the detriment of girls" (Galvin 2). Due to the environment that has been fostered, less women steer themselves toward these studies and careers. In fact, the article states that the percentage of women in computer sciences has dropped from 37% in 1984 to 18% in 2014. and goes on to emphasize the importance of involving women in middle and high school to narrow the gap.
 

Relevance - This article is important because it gives educators a little perspective as to how far we haven't really come. When comparing the cultures of different studies like geology and education for example, there are major differences in the demographics. It's important that we don't break down the culture of the studies themselves. After all, it takes a person of a certain mindset to study anything specific and that shouldn't be the target. It is important however, to make different studies more accessible to everyone.  

2 comments:

  1. I appreciate this article and the important points that were highlighted. I like your point about making the studies in technology and sciences more accessible to all. By creating more access and awareness, the hope would be to create more opportunities for students; especially female students to explore the fields. When student are labeled and confined into boxes, it does not create safe or encouraging learning environments. Fostering inclusive learning environments and rethinking the structure of the classes so content is relevant for students should be the focus. I think this speaks to a greater issue of students not being able to see their full potential. Also, it is essential that students have role models in fields that they are interested in, and they are taught about “growth mindset.” I see immense value in having various studies available to students at a young age and having more gender neutral learning environments.

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  2. I'm surprised to see that women in computer science dropped 19% in 30 years, because it feels like have been progress in the right direction. There is definitely a long way to go and this article illustrates that, but I figured it would have more consistent. I would be curious to see careers for women have increased in other areas over the last 30 years. Maybe the decrease in computer science is also related to the fact that it's computer science and its just not that exciting, haha.

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