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Gender and science educationGood news, bad news and surprising news

Results and perspectives from recent research

Prague 15. May 2009

Svein Sjøberg and Camilla SchreinerUniversity of Oslo, Norway

Based on work supported by

ROSE and Eurobarometer (EB)n Focus on attitudes, experiences, interests,

future plans... n Standard survey methods n Target populations:n EB: Adults (15+) in 32 European Countriesn ROSE: 15 year-olds in schools in 40 countries,

all continentsn Representative samples (N> 1000) in each

countryn EB: Interviews, ROSE: Written questionnaire

Some simple dataOnly single variables:

Per cent agreementfor girls and boys in different countries

NorwayDenmarkSwedenIcelandFinland

JapanEngland

N. IrelandScotland

IrelandGermany

AustriaSloveniaEstonia

LatviaCzech Rep.

PolandRussia (Kar)Spain (Bal)

PortugalGreeceTurkey

Trinidad & T.Malaysia

India (Mumb)India (Guj)

BangladeshPhilippinesBotswanaZimbabweSwaziland

LesothoGhana (Centr)

Uganda

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Mean G1. Science and technology are important for

society

Science and technology are important for society

GirlsBoys

Children in most countries agree

strongly that Science and technology areimportant for society

Countries are sortedby Human

Development Index(and geography)

Attitudes to S&T: A possible generation shift in Europe?

nBroad agreement about the importance of Science, Technology and (basic) Research!nBut youth in rich countries are more

ambivalent than the adultsn In particular the girls..

6

(EB) The application of science and new technologies will make peoples’lives more interesting


NetherlandsBelgium

LuxemburgGreat Britain

N IrelandIreland

SwitzerlandAustria

Germany WGermany E

FranceItaly

SpainPortugal

GreeceCyprus

MaltaSlovenia

Czech RepublPoland

EstoniaLithuania

LatviaSlovakiaHungaryCroatia

BulgariaRomania

Turkey

1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0 4,5 5,0The application of science and new technologies will

make peoples’ work more interesting

Adults in all Europeagree, small gender

differences


JapanEngland

N. IrelandScotland

IrelandGermany


LatviaCzech Rep.







Uganda

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Mean G5. New technologies will make work more

interesting

(ROSE) New technologies will make work more interesting

Scepticism and ambivalence amongyoung people in the

Nordic countriesand Japan, in

particular amonggirls.

Interest to learn about: (108 simple items)

nMain pattern:nThe more developed country, the less

overall interest nOr rather:

The more selective are the learners

Interest in S&T: Context is the key word:n Traditional “School science” has little appealn The gender difference increases with

development on all items:n Boys’ interests (and NOT the girls’)q The technical, mechanical, electrical, spectacular, violent,

explosive…n Girls’ interests (and NOT the boys’)q Health and medicine, beauty and the human body, ethics,

aesthetics, wonder, speculation (and the paranormal..)

How plants grow and reproduce

Very lowinterest, 20 %

average

Atoms and molecules

”No context” or ”School science”:Low interest, in

particular for girls

Chemicals, their properties and how they react

”No context”or ”school context”

Low interest, in particular for girls

Detergents, soaps and how they work

”Everyday context”Low interest for all

Famous scientist and their lives

Biographies of scientists.

Low interest, in particular for girls

How petrol and diesel engines work

”Technical context”

Only of interest for boys

Explosive chemicals

”Violent and spectacular context”

Only of interest for boys

What to eat to keep healthy and fit

”Body and health”Girls’ interest,

growing gender difference

Cancer, what we know and how we can treat it

”Health and medicin”

Girls’ interest, growing gender

difference

The “winner” is:

The possibility of life outside earth

”Space, life, wonder, openness”

The most popular for girls and boys

The environment and sustainable development?n Important for all, but mainly for girlsnBoys think problems are exaggerated and

trust experts to sort out the problems nGirls believe that each individual makes a

differencenGirls are willing to ‘pay the price’,

Boys are reluctant

Important for future work:n The prime importance of

values, attitudes and meaning!(For Girls in particular)nGirls’ priority:

Working with, and helping peoplen Boys’ priority:

Working with their hands, with things, machines and tools n (AND: Earning lots of money, becoming the boss

at the job, becoming famous ---n…. and having an easy job…)


JapanEngland

N. IrelandScotland

IrelandGermany


LatviaCzech Rep.







Uganda

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Working with people instead of things

Future work:

“Working with people rather than things”

Girls want to work with

people

Many boys, in particular in

Scandinavia, are not very interested in

working with people.


JapanEngland

N. IrelandScotland

IrelandGermany


LatviaCzech Rep.







Uganda

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Mean B2. Helping other people

Helping other people

Same pattern:

Girls want to help other people, boys

are reluctant

Many boys, in particular in the

wealthier countries, are not very interested

in helping other people.

Building or repairing objects using my hands

Boys want a job where they can build and repair things with their hands – girls do not want such jobs!


JapanEngland

N. IrelandScotland

IrelandGermany


LatviaCzech Rep.







Uganda

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100Mean B6. Building or repairing objects using my

hands

Recruitment:What about future careers and studies in S&T?


JapanEngland

N. IrelandScotland

IrelandGermany


LatviaCzech Rep.







Uganda

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100I would like to become a scientist

I would like to become a scientist

In wealthy countries, very few want to

become scientists – in particular not the girls

In poor countries, ’everybody’ want to become scientists, (but very few get the possibility)


JapanEngland

N. IrelandScotland

IrelandGermany


LatviaCzech Rep.







Uganda

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100I would like to get a job in technology

I would like to get a job in technology

Same pattern: In poor countries,

’everybody’ want to work with

technology, but …

In wealthy countries, nearly no girls want

to work with technology, and even boys are ambivalent

Japan may face a problem…

28

ROSE-articles, data etc. on www.ils.uio.no/english/rose

What’s next?

IRIS: an emerging EU-funded

research initiative to address

interest, recruitment and choice

Am I interested in the subject? Am I good

enough?

Will I manageto get a

job?

How are the salaries

What is my friends'

opinion about this?

Will I find thework

meaningful?

What are theemployees in thefield concernedabout at work?

What aboutmom and

dad's work?

Does it suit boys or girls?

How large is the risk, and

what do I have to sacrifice?

Will theprofessionsuit med?

Factors influencing recruitment, retention and gender equity in SMT higher education

Secured basicEU FP7 funding for a 5 country consortium

A network (based on ROSE)of 50+ countries want to take part. (not yet funded)

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