Why the Difference?Why the Difference?

A Conference Summary:Kelly Strait & Jennifer Docktor

University of MinnesotaWomen in IT Pizza LunchSeptember 22, 2006

General InformationGeneral Information

• Held at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN

• June 27-28, 2006

• Presented by the Center of Excellence for Women, Science, and Technology: http://www.stkate.edu/scitech

Conference MotivationConference Motivation

• Women choose STEM majors at less than half the rate that men do.

• Based on standardized exam scores and high school courses taken, young women are capable of entering into STEM college majors at the same rate as men, but they don’t.

• Large achievement gaps exist among various racial and cultural groups in the U.S., and these gaps are even more acute in some STEM fields.

“It is clear that girls graduate from high school with skills and knowledge comparable to boys, but few girls continue on in engineering and other physical and quantitative sciences. Relatively few African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students, female or male, graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to continue on in these fields.”

~Patricia Campbell, Ph.D.President, Campbell-Kibler & Associates, Inc.

Desired Conference OutcomesDesired Conference Outcomes• Increased knowledge of best

practices in teaching STEM disciplines

• “Best practices” are educational techniques for which research has shown that students (or a subset of students) learn better with their use

• New skills in implementing best practices

• Shared knowledge and expertise

• Broader range of teaching techniques

Enlightened, enriched, exciting, and varied and effective teaching skills will raise not only the achievement of women and students of color, it will raise the achievement and engagement of ALL students.

Conference ThemesConference Themes

• The conference program centered around themes of best teaching practices that relate to greater achievement in science, technology, engineering and math.

• Session presenters discussed research on best teaching practices, implementation strategies, or examples of best practices as applied to lesson plans for STEM subjects.

Conference Themes:1. Collaborative Learning 2. Inquiry and Activity-

Based Learning 3. Gender Issues 4. Real World Contexts

Best Practices Themes/SubthemesBest Practices Themes/Subthemes

1. Collaborative Learning• Group dynamics and balanced participation • Leadership roles • Collaboration in regard to gender and racial/ethnic group

composition

2. Inquiry and Activity-based Learning• Challenges with implementation • Risk-taking and classroom environment • Equity in access to materials and responsibility • Incorporating prior knowledge • How inquiry relates to girls and different racial/ethnic groups

3. Gender issues• Gender equity • Single-sex classes vs. co-ed classes • Gender stereotypes and expectations held by boys, girls,

teachers, parents, media • Cognitive and learning style differences • Appeal of content to both genders • Special programs for girls and students of color • Gender/race stereotypes

4. Real world contexts• Relevance of examples • Problem-solving strategies connected to context • Cultural funds of knowledge • How real world contexts relate to different cultural/ethnic

groups

Best Practices Themes/SubthemesBest Practices Themes/Subthemes

SessionsSessions

(Day 1)(Day 1)

SessionsSessions

(Day 2)(Day 2)

K-12 Research:• Stereotypical image of scientists emerges by 2nd grade• By 8th grade, boys are twice as interested in STEM careers• Teachers unconsciously interact more with boys in classroom• Encouragement from parents & teachers works • All students and esp. girls like inquiry-based, hands-on,

cooperative team problem-solving with social relevance• Most adults & students are unaware of range of careers open• US high school students are ahead internationally at 4th grade and

behind by 12th grade• Girls don’t have same exposure or encouragement to engage

tools, computers, informal science as boys• Girls think about computers: “I can, but I don’t want to”• Special clubs and summer camps work to change this

Findings from NSF:Findings from NSF:Research on Gender in Science & Engineering Program (GSE)Research on Gender in Science & Engineering Program (GSE)

Information taken from a presentation packet by Julie Johnson, Distinguished Chair of Museum Leadership, Science Museum of Minnesota

College Research:• Changing the curriculum works: encourage, don’t weed;

incorporate social issues (women’s)• Bridge programs work• Residential learning communities work• Mentoring and networking• Career awareness• Research experience• Industry internships• Positive interaction with faculty• Presence of female faculty & role models• Women interpret lack of encouragement as discouragement• Some single-sex classrooms work• Train faculty in gender research

Findings from NSF:Findings from NSF:Research on Gender in Science & Engineering Program (GSE)Research on Gender in Science & Engineering Program (GSE)

Information taken from a presentation packet by Julie Johnson, Distinguished Chair of Museum Leadership, Science Museum of Minnesota

Graduate School Research:Graduation rate affected by:• Interaction with faculty• Isolation/integration with

department• Department’s attitude

toward family responsibilities

• Nature of the discipline• Role models & mentors• Female faculty &

presence of other female students

• Sexual harassment

Findings from NSF:Findings from NSF:Research on Gender in Science & Engineering Program (GSE)Research on Gender in Science & Engineering Program (GSE)

Professional Life:• Female scientists often not informed

about business careers• Women exit S&E at twice rate as men• Barriers to achievement:

– Absence of role models– Isolation– Exclusion from informal networks– Lack of mentoring– Work/life balance

• Covert discrimination exists (recruitment, selection, advancement)

• Salaries are not equal• Supportiveness is key factor

Information taken from a presentation packet by Julie Johnson, Distinguished Chair of Museum Leadership, Science Museum of Minnesota

The ECC TrilogyThe ECC Trilogy

Eric Jolly, Ph.D. (Science Museum of Minnesota)Patricia Campbell, Ph.D. (Campbell-Kibler & Associates, Inc.)Lesley Perlman, MA (Campbel-Kibler & Associates, Inc.)

http://www.smm.org/ecc

http://www.stkate.edu/scitech• College of St. Catherine Center for Women, Science, & Technology• Links to conference materials

http://www.campbell-kibler.com• Campbell-Kibler & Associates, Inc.

– Educational consulting firm specializing in educational research and evaluation with an emphasis on mathematics and science education issues of race/ethnicity, gender and disability.

• Variety of articles on equity, engagement, achievement, and curricula: “Upping the Numbers” and “What Do We Know? Seeking Effective Math and Science Instruction”

http://www.SciMathMN.org• K-12 Science & Math Frameworks; Chapter 2 discusses best practices

http://www.whatworks.ed.gov• The What Works Clearinghouse collects, screens, and identifies

studies of effectiveness of educational interventions (programs, products, practices, and policies)

Web ResourcesWeb Resources