This week, NOVA was invited to attend Dr. Sally Ride's Roundtable Discussion about Gender Equality in Math and Science Education (it's part of a series of nationwide round tables sponsored by one of our funders, the ExxonMobil Corporation).
On March 9, a distinguished panel gathered at the Omni Parker House in Boston to address the issue of motivating young people, especially girls, to pursue careers in science and math. As the marketing manager for NOVA, I'm very interested in the topic. NOVA's programs, website, and outreach activities are created to inspire kids to pursue science careers, and my job is to spread the word.
The panel included the first American woman to fly in space and Astronaut Hall-of-Famer Dr. Sally Ride (today she runs a science education company), lead scientist on NASA's Grail MoonKam mission Maria Zuber, former Miss Massachusetts and founder of the WhizKids Foundation Erika Ebbel, and former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift.
On March 9, a distinguished panel gathered at the Omni Parker House in Boston to address the issue of motivating young people, especially girls, to pursue careers in science and math. As the marketing manager for NOVA, I'm very interested in the topic. NOVA's programs, website, and outreach activities are created to inspire kids to pursue science careers, and my job is to spread the word.
The panel included the first American woman to fly in space and Astronaut Hall-of-Famer Dr. Sally Ride (today she runs a science education company), lead scientist on NASA's Grail MoonKam mission Maria Zuber, former Miss Massachusetts and founder of the WhizKids Foundation Erika Ebbel, and former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift.
Photo credit: Kerry Brett
Early on in school, the panelists said, students love science. Research shows that in 4th grade 68% of boys and 66% of girls enjoy science. But by 5th and 6th grade, that interest starts to drop off, and it drops off at a greater rate among female students. That decline might contribute to the sad statistic that although women represent 46 percent of the workforce, only 25 percent of the jobs in science, engineering, and technology are held by women, according to the National Science Foundation.
Why is there a decline among students' interest in science and math in middle school?
The panelists agreed that peer pressure in middle school and the ongoing, popular public perception that science isn't "cool" are the driving factors that account for the drop off in students' interest in science.
Why particularly among girls?
Ride suggested that an 11-year-old girl who says she wants to be an electrical engineer might get less encouragement than a boy would.
Additionally, Ebbel said, girls don't have a lot of science role models in mainstream media. "When do you see a scientist on the cover of Vogue?" she asked.
Swift said schools might sometimes offer a gender-skewed education--if teachers push female students to excel in language skills, rather than in science and engineering.
That kind of messaging can even come into play at home. "We need to make sure that the signals we're sending our children are not biased by what messages we got growing up," she adds. She recalls stopping herself from saying things like "I'm glad your father balances the checkbook" to her young daughters.
How can we change the perception that science isn't cool?
Ride suggested that educators have to tap into topics that are of interest to kids today, like climate change and clean energy to make science "cool" again, like it was in the early days of the space program.
The panelists agree that mentors and role models are extremely important in changing the current stereotypes about scientists, and gender training awareness for teachers is essential to stop ongoing biases in the classroom.
So, what would success look like? Here's what the panelists had to say...
Swift: [Success is] when the same number of boys and girls pursue degrees in science/math careers.
Ebbel: [Success is] when we're building new universities and campus facilities to keep up with the demand of high school students pursuing college degrees.
Zuber: [Success is] when women in science aren't considered trailblazers but it's a natural career choice.
Ride: [Success is] when the number of high school girls equals the number of high school boys going into science and engineering careers.
Final thoughts about the event...
I was struck by Sally Ride's comment about what it takes to make a career in science.
Any career that you want to be good at is hard work, said Ride. You don't have to be a genius to be a scientist; it's like any career--you need passion to succeed.
These panelists are incredibly successful, passionate people who are dedicated to turning around the current trend of waning interest in science. They're trying to change misperceptions about science and scientists, train teachers, and create innovative programs to engage students. NOVA is in great company.
I am after all in marketing, so I want to share some NOVA resources that address some of the issues that came up at the roundtable. I hope you'll take a few minutes to explore. Thanks!
NOVA's web series Secret Life of Scientists features scientists as dynamic "real" people http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/
Teacher Resources (NOVA is the most used video resource in high schools across the U.S.)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/hew06.sci.life.stru.angiogenesis/
(And sign up for our newsletter! There's a link at the bottom of the page.)
Why is there a decline among students' interest in science and math in middle school?
The panelists agreed that peer pressure in middle school and the ongoing, popular public perception that science isn't "cool" are the driving factors that account for the drop off in students' interest in science.
Why particularly among girls?
Ride suggested that an 11-year-old girl who says she wants to be an electrical engineer might get less encouragement than a boy would.
Additionally, Ebbel said, girls don't have a lot of science role models in mainstream media. "When do you see a scientist on the cover of Vogue?" she asked.
Swift said schools might sometimes offer a gender-skewed education--if teachers push female students to excel in language skills, rather than in science and engineering.
That kind of messaging can even come into play at home. "We need to make sure that the signals we're sending our children are not biased by what messages we got growing up," she adds. She recalls stopping herself from saying things like "I'm glad your father balances the checkbook" to her young daughters.
How can we change the perception that science isn't cool?
Ride suggested that educators have to tap into topics that are of interest to kids today, like climate change and clean energy to make science "cool" again, like it was in the early days of the space program.
The panelists agree that mentors and role models are extremely important in changing the current stereotypes about scientists, and gender training awareness for teachers is essential to stop ongoing biases in the classroom.
So, what would success look like? Here's what the panelists had to say...
Swift: [Success is] when the same number of boys and girls pursue degrees in science/math careers.
Ebbel: [Success is] when we're building new universities and campus facilities to keep up with the demand of high school students pursuing college degrees.
Zuber: [Success is] when women in science aren't considered trailblazers but it's a natural career choice.
Ride: [Success is] when the number of high school girls equals the number of high school boys going into science and engineering careers.
Final thoughts about the event...
I was struck by Sally Ride's comment about what it takes to make a career in science.
Any career that you want to be good at is hard work, said Ride. You don't have to be a genius to be a scientist; it's like any career--you need passion to succeed.
These panelists are incredibly successful, passionate people who are dedicated to turning around the current trend of waning interest in science. They're trying to change misperceptions about science and scientists, train teachers, and create innovative programs to engage students. NOVA is in great company.
I am after all in marketing, so I want to share some NOVA resources that address some of the issues that came up at the roundtable. I hope you'll take a few minutes to explore. Thanks!
NOVA's web series Secret Life of Scientists features scientists as dynamic "real" people http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/
Teacher Resources (NOVA is the most used video resource in high schools across the U.S.)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/hew06.sci.life.stru.angiogenesis/
(And sign up for our newsletter! There's a link at the bottom of the page.)
