New Formulas for America's Workforce 2--Girls in Science and Engineering
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| Audience/Grade: | 0-Continuing Education |
| Discipline(s): |
Computing Diversity Engineering Diversity General Engineering, Engineering Science |
| Special Topic(s): | |
| Learning Resource Type: |
Reference - Educational Research Paper |
| Media Type: |
Audio |
| Author(s): |
Organization:NSF - National Science Foundation |
| Description: | NSF report on gender and STEM disciplines at all grade levels. Table of Contents: Front Matter (Front Cover, Table of Contents, Origins, Why This Book?, Acknowledgements. and A Periodic Table of Contents) (PDF, 415kb) Chapter One: Changing Stereotypes (PDF, 452kb) Chapter Two: Girls and the Technology Gap (PDF, 503kb) Chapter Three: Fostering Early Interest in Science (PDF, 425kb) Chapter Four: Girls and the Math Gap (PDF, 279kb) Chapter Five: Holding Interest Through College and Community College (PDF, 177kb) Chapter Six: Creating a Diverse S&E Workforce (PDF, 128kb) Excerpt from Introduction: IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ABOUT AS MANY GIRLS AS BOYS HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD SCIENCE. IN A RECENT SURVEY, FULLY 66 PERCENT OF FOURTH-GRADE GIRLS (AND 68 PERCENT OF FOURTH-GRADE BOYS) REPORTED THAT THEY “LIKE†SCIENCE.1 BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER, MORE GIRLS THAN BOYS BEGIN TO TURN AWAY FROM SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM).2,3 THIS BEGINS THE “LEAKING PIPELINE†THAT RESULTS IN SIGNIFICANT UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN MANY STEM CAREERS.4 A PRINCIPAL REASON IS CULTURAL STEREOTYPES—STEREOTYPES THAT ARE CHANGING, BUT NOT QUICKLY ENOUGH. GIRLS’ DECLINING INTEREST IN STEM OFTEN RESULTS FROM CULTURAL BELIEFS, IMAGES, AND PRACTICES THAT COMMUNICATE STEREOTYPED MESSAGES THAT THESE SUBJECTS ARE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR BOYS THAN FOR GIRLS. AS A RESULT, GIRLS BEGIN TO CONCLUDE THAT STEM IS NOT FOR THEM. THESE BELIEFS OFTEN BEGIN EARLY AND INFLUENCE CHOICES THEY MAKE THROUGHOUT SCHOOL.5 THE CONSEQUENCES OF GIRLS DROPPING OUT OF THE SCIENTIFIC PIPELINE ARE REAL. TODAY, WOMEN MAKE UP 49 PERCENT OF THE WORKFORCE BUT ONLY 25 PERCENT OF THE STEM WORKFORCE. CHANGING STEREOTYPES ABOUT GIRLS AND WOMEN IN STEM IS IMPORTANT. HERE’S WHY: • SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HELP DRIVE THE ECONOMY. TO ENSURE THE PLACE OF THE UNITED STATES IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS AND AS A SCIENTIFIC WORLD LEADER, WE MUST TAP OUR AVAILABLE RESOURCES. IF THERE ARE 12-YEAR-OLD GIRLS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SCIENTISTS OR ENGINEERS, WE MUST ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP THEIR TALENTS. • SCIENCE IMPROVES AND GROWS ONLY THROUGH THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ITS MEMBERS. EACH SCIENTIST BRINGS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE TO THE FIELD, AND EACH PERSPECTIVE IS IMPORTANT. FEW CAN PREDICT WHAT GOOD IDEA IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT GREAT IDEA OR WHO WILL COME UP WITH IT. OPENING THE FIELD TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE IS ESSENTIAL FOR STEM TO FLOURISH. • OUR SOCIETY REAPS BENEFITS WHEN ITS MEMBERS ARE SCIENTIFICALLY LITERATE. TECHNOLOGICAL, MEDICAL, AND SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS ARE BEING MADE RAPIDLY. A SOLID FOUNDATION IN SCIENCE IS VITAL TO UNDERSTANDING HOW TO INCORPORATE THIS NEW INFORMATION INTO OUR DAILY LIVES. Chapter Seven: Tools for Educators and Researchers (PDF, 354kb) Appendices, Index, and Back Cover (PDF, 107kb) |
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| Keywords: | gender equity women in science women in engineering girls |
| Usage Tip | |
| Use of Resource: |
A major reference from the NSF program on Research on Gender in Science and Engineering. |
| Difficulty: |
Difficult |
| Interactivity Level: |
Very low |
| Version Info | |
| Publication Date: | August 2007 |
| Platform/Format: |
Unknown |
| Cost: |
Free |
| Download URL: | http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf0660/index.jsp |
| Metadata: |
IEEE LOM Record |
| Collection: |
NEEDS
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