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Support Urged for Girls in Math, Science Fields

Posted on: Wednesday, 28 June 2006, 09:00 CDT

By Ruth-Ellen Cohen, Bangor Daily News, Maine

Jun. 28--ORONO -- More girls would pursue a career in science or math if they knew that was a way to help people, animals and the environment -- values that are especially important to them, a diversity consultant said Tuesday.

High school girls may not know, for instance, that engineers and physicists help create such things as hearing aids, baby monitors, cosmetics, wheelchairs and exercise equipment, said consultant Stephanie Blaisdell during a conference hosted by the University of Maine's Center for Science and Mathematics Education Research.

The four-day event attracted some 175 teachers, professors and researchers from Maine and across the country to explore ways to make science and math more appealing to middle- and secondary-school students.

Blaisdell, 37, is from Memphis, Tenn., and has a doctorate in counseling psychology. She said during an interview that she would have loved to become an industrial engineer, but never received any encouragement.

"I can't believe the kids we're letting slip through the cracks," she said.

Although women have entered science and engineering fields in unprecedented numbers during the past 20 years, fields such as engineering still have only a 20 percent participation rate by women during that same period.

It's not because of genetics or lack of interest, she said.

In high school, more girls than boys take Advanced Placement math and science classes. And in places such as Eastern Europe, Asia, Iceland and Puerto Rico, women enter engineering fields as often as men.

High school girls may be shying away from math and science careers because they have been misinformed, Blaisdell said.

For example, according to research, women think people who become engineers or physicists must have to love both math and science. In fact, it's really a matter of liking either one or the other, she said.

Girls often don't understand what engineering is, don't think it's "for them," and perceive it to be a man's profession, Blaisdell said.

In addition, messages about science and math careers often don't include the benefits and rewards -- instead portraying those fields as challenging and demanding superior math and science abilities.

Also, girls may not be as confident as boys in their math skills.

Growing up, girls often are given less access to computers, which can lead to decreased confidence in their computer abilities. Many girls also are turned off by computer games and the "hacker culture" of computer science.

High school guidance counselors often discourage women from entering engineering because they also have misconceptions about math and science careers, Blaisdell said.

She advised teachers to encourage more girls to enter those fields by: bringing young female engineers, scientists and computer technology experts into the classroom to talk about their jobs, providing opportunities to create "communities" of girls who enjoy math and science, offering extracurricular programs focusing on building science and math skills, challenging gender stereotypes, and disseminating accurate information about educational and career options.

More information on science and math careers may be obtained through these Web sites: www.engineering-goforit.com/optionsFINAL4pdf., www.aps.org/jobs/guidance/whystudy.cfm, http://environmentalcareer.com, www.medtronic.com, and http://women.cs.cmu.edu/Teachers.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Bangor Daily News, Maine

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Bangor Daily News (Bangor, Maine)

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