Why So Few? |
1. 8. “WHY SO FEW? GROWTH MINDSET, STEREOTYPE THREAT, AND SPATIAL SKILLS”
Thursday / November 6, 2014 / 12-1 PM
Avery Library
One reference of note on gender issues is the report entitled, “Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” which was compiled by the American Association of University Women. The report summarizes studies showing that the achievements and interests of girls in math, science, and engineering continue to be shaped by social and environmental factors. The reasons that there are so few women in STEM fields are NOT related to innate gender differences!
In this talk, Dr. Joan Schmelz will discuss three of her favorite topics from this report: (1) Growth Mindset, the idea that believing in the potential for intellectual growth, in and of itself, improves outcomes for women and girls; (2) Stereotype Threat, the anxiety women face in a situation where they have the potential to confirm a negative stereotype about women as a group (like when taking a math test); and (3) Spatial Skills, a test with one of the largest and most persistent gender gaps, where boys consistently outperform girls. The full report can be accessed here: http://www.aauw.org/research/why-so-few/.
Avery Library
One reference of note on gender issues is the report entitled, “Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” which was compiled by the American Association of University Women. The report summarizes studies showing that the achievements and interests of girls in math, science, and engineering continue to be shaped by social and environmental factors. The reasons that there are so few women in STEM fields are NOT related to innate gender differences!
In this talk, Dr. Joan Schmelz will discuss three of her favorite topics from this report: (1) Growth Mindset, the idea that believing in the potential for intellectual growth, in and of itself, improves outcomes for women and girls; (2) Stereotype Threat, the anxiety women face in a situation where they have the potential to confirm a negative stereotype about women as a group (like when taking a math test); and (3) Spatial Skills, a test with one of the largest and most persistent gender gaps, where boys consistently outperform girls. The full report can be accessed here: http://www.aauw.org/research/why-so-few/.