The Impact of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education for School-Aged Girls
Abstract
STEM education is essential for global economic and social development, but female participation in these areas is still low due to a lack of encouragement from basic education and gender stereotypes. The school phase is crucial for shaping skills and aspirations, making the role of STEM education fundamental in opening up opportunities and challenging cultural perceptions that associate these areas with men. This study reviewed the literature on STEM for girls, analyzing 7 articles published between 2020 and 2024, concluding that STEM education helps reduce stereotypes and promotes equality in the labor market.
References
Cvencek, D., Brecic, R., Gacesa, D., and Meltzoff, A. N. (2021). Development of math attitudes and math self-concepts: Gender differences, implicit–explicit dissociations, and relations to math achievement. Child Development, 92(5):e940–e956.
Cyr, E. N., Kroeper, K. M., Bergsieker, H. B., Dennehy, T. C., Logel, C., Steele, J. R., Knasel, R. A., Hartwig, W. T., Shum, P., Reeves, S. L., et al. (2024). Girls are good at stem: Opening minds and providing evidence reduces boys’ stereotyping of girls’ stem ability. Child Development, 95(2):636–647.
Dasgupta, N. and Stout, J. G. (2014). Girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: Steming the tide and broadening participation in stem careers. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1(1):21–29.
de Souza Barbosa, M. and Modesto, J. G. (2022). Atribuição de estereótipos de gênero por profissionais da educação a estudantes da educação básica. Educação em Revista, 23(1):249–266.
Ebling, R. M. and Coiro, S. D. P. (2018). Orientação profissional: A prática com um grupo de estudantes de escola pública. INVESTIGAÇÃO E PRÁTICAS EM ORIENTAÇÃO DE CARREIRA: CENÁRIO 2018, page 122.
Espinoza, P., Arêas da Luz Fontes, A. B., and Arms-Chavez, C. J. (2014). Attributional gender bias: Teachers’ ability and effort explanations for students’ math performance. Social Psychology of Education, 17:105–126.
Exner, M. K., Corrêa, M. G., Lotta, G., and Farah, M. F. S. (2021). Implementando diretrizes de gênero na escola: entre a obediência legal e cultural. Revista@ mbienteeducação, 14(1):33–56.
Freire, P. (1981). Pedagogia do oprimido.
García-Pérez, R., Rebollo, M.-Á., Vega, L., Barragán-Sánchez, R., Buzón, O., and Piedra, J. (2011). El patriarcado no es transparente: competencias del profesorado para reconocer desigualdad. Culture and Education, 23(3):385–397.
Henriksen, E. K., Jensen, F., and Sjaastad, J. (2015). The role of out-of-school experiences and targeted recruitment efforts in norwegian science and technology students’ educational choice. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 5(3):203–222.
Jackson, A., Mentzer, N., and Kramer-Bottiglio, R. (2021). Increasing gender diversity in engineering using soft robotics. Journal of Engineering Education, 110(1):143–160.
Kitchenham, B., Charters, S., et al. (2007). Guidelines for performing systematic literature reviews in software engineering.
Kollmayer, M., Schultes, M.-T., Lüftenegger, M., Finsterwald, M., Spiel, C., and Schober, B. (2020). Reflect–a teacher training program to promote gender equality in schools. In Frontiers in Education, volume 5, page 136. Frontiers Media SA.
Lins, B. A., Machado, B. F., and Escoura, M. (2016). Diferentes, não desiguais: a questão de gênero na escola. Editora Schwarcz-Companhia das Letras.
Master, A. H. and Meltzoff, A. N. (2020). Cultural stereotypes and sense of belonging contribute to gender gaps in stem. Grantee Submission, 12(1):152–198.
Merayo, N. and Ayuso, A. (2023). Analysis of barriers, supports and gender gap in the choice of stem studies in secondary education. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 33(4):1471–1498.
Michaluk, L., Stoiko, R., Stewart, G., and Stewart, J. (2018). Beliefs and attitudes about science and mathematics in pre-service elementary teachers, stem, and non-stem majors in undergraduate physics courses. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 27:99–113.
MOITA LOPES, L. P. (2008). Sexualidades em sala de aula: discurso, desejo e teoria queer. Multiculturalismo: diferenças culturais e práticas pedagógicas. Petrópolis: Vozes, pages 125–148.
MORENO, A. C. (2018). Desde pequenas, meninas já consideram a engenharia uma atividade só para meninos, diz estudo. G1-Globo. com, Rio de Janeiro, 9.
Navarro, M., Martin, A., Montoya, M. F., and Concha, S. (2024). Future primary teachers and pedagogical interactions with boys and girls. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(5):em2443.
Ortega, L., Treviño, E., and Gelber, D. (2021). The inclusion of girls in chilean mathematics classrooms: Gender bias in teacher-student interaction networks (la inclusión de las niñas en las aulas de matemáticas chilenas: Sesgo de género en las redes de interacciones profesor-estudiante). Journal for the Study of Education and Development, 44(3):623–674.
Roy, J. (2019). Engineering by the numbers. In American Society for Engineering Education, pages 1–40. American Society for Engineering Education.
Ryoo, J. J. and Tsui, K. (2023). Defining a”computer science person”and the pedagogical practices supporting positive identification for minoritized youth. In Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 1, pages 673–679.
Sakellariou, C. and Fang, Z. (2021). Self-efficacy and interest in stem subjects as predictors of the stem gender gap in the us: The role of unobserved heterogeneity. International Journal of Educational Research, 109:101821.
Sherman, D. K. and Cohen, G. L. (2006). The psychology of self-defense: Self-affirmation theory. Advances in experimental social psychology, 38:183–242.
Solyst, J., Nkrumah, T., Stewart, A., Buddemeyer, A., Walker, E., and Ogan, A. (2022). Running an online synchronous culturally responsive computing camp for middle school girls. In Proceedings of the 27th ACM Conference on on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Vol. 1, pages 158–164.
Cyr, E. N., Kroeper, K. M., Bergsieker, H. B., Dennehy, T. C., Logel, C., Steele, J. R., Knasel, R. A., Hartwig, W. T., Shum, P., Reeves, S. L., et al. (2024). Girls are good at stem: Opening minds and providing evidence reduces boys’ stereotyping of girls’ stem ability. Child Development, 95(2):636–647.
Dasgupta, N. and Stout, J. G. (2014). Girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics: Steming the tide and broadening participation in stem careers. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 1(1):21–29.
de Souza Barbosa, M. and Modesto, J. G. (2022). Atribuição de estereótipos de gênero por profissionais da educação a estudantes da educação básica. Educação em Revista, 23(1):249–266.
Ebling, R. M. and Coiro, S. D. P. (2018). Orientação profissional: A prática com um grupo de estudantes de escola pública. INVESTIGAÇÃO E PRÁTICAS EM ORIENTAÇÃO DE CARREIRA: CENÁRIO 2018, page 122.
Espinoza, P., Arêas da Luz Fontes, A. B., and Arms-Chavez, C. J. (2014). Attributional gender bias: Teachers’ ability and effort explanations for students’ math performance. Social Psychology of Education, 17:105–126.
Exner, M. K., Corrêa, M. G., Lotta, G., and Farah, M. F. S. (2021). Implementando diretrizes de gênero na escola: entre a obediência legal e cultural. Revista@ mbienteeducação, 14(1):33–56.
Freire, P. (1981). Pedagogia do oprimido.
García-Pérez, R., Rebollo, M.-Á., Vega, L., Barragán-Sánchez, R., Buzón, O., and Piedra, J. (2011). El patriarcado no es transparente: competencias del profesorado para reconocer desigualdad. Culture and Education, 23(3):385–397.
Henriksen, E. K., Jensen, F., and Sjaastad, J. (2015). The role of out-of-school experiences and targeted recruitment efforts in norwegian science and technology students’ educational choice. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 5(3):203–222.
Jackson, A., Mentzer, N., and Kramer-Bottiglio, R. (2021). Increasing gender diversity in engineering using soft robotics. Journal of Engineering Education, 110(1):143–160.
Kitchenham, B., Charters, S., et al. (2007). Guidelines for performing systematic literature reviews in software engineering.
Kollmayer, M., Schultes, M.-T., Lüftenegger, M., Finsterwald, M., Spiel, C., and Schober, B. (2020). Reflect–a teacher training program to promote gender equality in schools. In Frontiers in Education, volume 5, page 136. Frontiers Media SA.
Lins, B. A., Machado, B. F., and Escoura, M. (2016). Diferentes, não desiguais: a questão de gênero na escola. Editora Schwarcz-Companhia das Letras.
Master, A. H. and Meltzoff, A. N. (2020). Cultural stereotypes and sense of belonging contribute to gender gaps in stem. Grantee Submission, 12(1):152–198.
Merayo, N. and Ayuso, A. (2023). Analysis of barriers, supports and gender gap in the choice of stem studies in secondary education. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 33(4):1471–1498.
Michaluk, L., Stoiko, R., Stewart, G., and Stewart, J. (2018). Beliefs and attitudes about science and mathematics in pre-service elementary teachers, stem, and non-stem majors in undergraduate physics courses. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 27:99–113.
MOITA LOPES, L. P. (2008). Sexualidades em sala de aula: discurso, desejo e teoria queer. Multiculturalismo: diferenças culturais e práticas pedagógicas. Petrópolis: Vozes, pages 125–148.
MORENO, A. C. (2018). Desde pequenas, meninas já consideram a engenharia uma atividade só para meninos, diz estudo. G1-Globo. com, Rio de Janeiro, 9.
Navarro, M., Martin, A., Montoya, M. F., and Concha, S. (2024). Future primary teachers and pedagogical interactions with boys and girls. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(5):em2443.
Ortega, L., Treviño, E., and Gelber, D. (2021). The inclusion of girls in chilean mathematics classrooms: Gender bias in teacher-student interaction networks (la inclusión de las niñas en las aulas de matemáticas chilenas: Sesgo de género en las redes de interacciones profesor-estudiante). Journal for the Study of Education and Development, 44(3):623–674.
Roy, J. (2019). Engineering by the numbers. In American Society for Engineering Education, pages 1–40. American Society for Engineering Education.
Ryoo, J. J. and Tsui, K. (2023). Defining a”computer science person”and the pedagogical practices supporting positive identification for minoritized youth. In Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 1, pages 673–679.
Sakellariou, C. and Fang, Z. (2021). Self-efficacy and interest in stem subjects as predictors of the stem gender gap in the us: The role of unobserved heterogeneity. International Journal of Educational Research, 109:101821.
Sherman, D. K. and Cohen, G. L. (2006). The psychology of self-defense: Self-affirmation theory. Advances in experimental social psychology, 38:183–242.
Solyst, J., Nkrumah, T., Stewart, A., Buddemeyer, A., Walker, E., and Ogan, A. (2022). Running an online synchronous culturally responsive computing camp for middle school girls. In Proceedings of the 27th ACM Conference on on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Vol. 1, pages 158–164.
Published
2024-11-05
How to Cite
SILVA, Samuel Guimarães; JESUS, Rauany Ingrid Santos De; LIMA, Adam Guilherme Mendes; MENEZES, Isis Gabrielle Conceicao De; SILVA, Gilton José Ferreira da.
The Impact of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Education for School-Aged Girls. In: REGIONAL SCHOOL ON COMPUTING OF BAHIA, ALAGOAS, AND SERGIPE (ERBASE), 24. , 2024, Salvador/BA.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2024
.
p. 479-487.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/erbase.2024.4480.
