ERIC Number: EJ1418506
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-3920
EISSN: EISSN-1467-8624
Girls Are Good at STEM: Opening Minds and Providing Evidence Reduces Boys' Stereotyping of Girls' STEM Ability
Emily N. Cyr; Kathryn M. Kroeper; Hilary B. Bergsieker; Tara C. Dennehy; Christine Logel; Jennifer R. Steele; Rita A. Knasel; W. Tyler Hartwig; Priscilla Shum; Stephanie L. Reeves; Odilia Dys-Steenbergen; Amrit Litt; Christopher B. Lok; Taylor Ballinger; Haemi Nam; Crystal Tse; Amanda L. Forest; Mark Zanna; Sheryl Staub-French; Mary Wells; Toni Schmader; Stephen C. Wright; Steven J. Spencer
Child Development, v95 n2 p636-647 2024
Girls and women face persistent negative stereotyping within STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). This field intervention was designed to improve boys' perceptions of girls' STEM ability. Boys (N = 667; mostly White and East Asian) aged 9-15 years in Canadian STEM summer camps (2017-2019) had an intervention or control conversation with trained camp staff. The intervention was a multi-stage persuasive appeal: a values affirmation, an illustration of girls' ability in STEM, a personalized anecdote, and reflection. Control participants discussed general camp experiences. Boys who received the intervention (vs. control) had more positive perceptions of girls' STEM ability, d = 0.23, an effect stronger among younger boys. These findings highlight the importance of engaging elementary-school-aged boys to make STEM climates more inclusive.
Descriptors: Females, Womens Education, STEM Education, Summer Programs, Camps, Intervention, Attitude Change, Males, Preadolescents, Early Adolescents, Program Effectiveness, Age Differences, Sex Stereotypes
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A