The Public Domain is a credit.
Stereotypes that girls are less interested in computer science and engineering when they are young can contribute to a gender gap in college courses and related careers.
The University of Houston and the University of Washington have published new research that explores the gender-based beliefs young children and teens hold about interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The majority of children think girls are less interested in computer science and engineering than boys.
Many girls don't pursue degrees in computer science and engineering because they feel they don't belong, because of gender-interest stereotypes, according to Allison Master, an assistant professor of Psychological, Health.
Four different studies were used to capture the beliefs of a racially diverse sample of children and teens in grades 1 through 12. Researchers wanted to focus on interest, building on past studies of stereotypes about ability, to learn how gender-based stereotypes about who likes who at computer science and engineering can affect a child's sense of belonging and willingness to participate. Researchers say that information can influence a young person's motivation over the long term, and may deter them from trying an activity or taking a class.
According to the United States Census Bureau, only 25% of computer scientists and 15% of engineers are women.
Researchers surveyed more than 2,200 children and teens to gauge their beliefs about computer science and engineering. The surveys used terms and phrases that the students were familiar with at school, such as "Computer coding" for computer science or "designing and creating large structures such as roads and bridges."
Almost half of children think girls are less interested in computer science than boys, and nearly two-thirds think girls are less interested in engineering. In comparison, 9% of children said girls are more interested in engineering than boys.
A small sample of children were provided with two different activities to choose from. When girls were told that boys were more interested in computer science than girls, they were less interested in the activity, and more interested in the activity that boys were interested in.
The designed experiments showed how stereotypes can affect a sense of belonging, which can influence motivation, co-author Andrew Meltzoff said.
The kids absorbed the stereotype that girls are less interested in computer science and engineering. The Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington collaborated with a professor of psychology to conduct experiments on the consequences of stereotypes. The mere presence of a stereotype influenced kids in dramatic ways when they were labeled an activity. The effect of stereotypes on children and teens was brought home to us.
If fewer girls feel they belong, fewer will pursue computer science or engineering in school and beyond. That can lead to gender differences in fields like science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Computer science and engineering careers are lucrative, high status, and influence so many aspects of our daily lives that the current gender disparity in these careers is troubling.
The lack of gender and racial diversity in these fields may be one of the reasons why many products and services have had negative consequences for women and people of color.
The authors note that teachers and parents can help counteract stereotypes by offering high-quality computer science and engineering activities early in elementary school.
There are gender stereotypes that start early and cause gender differences in computer science and engineering. The DOI is 10.1073/pnas.
The National Academy of Sciences has a journal.
The study shows that kids and teens think girls aren't interested in computer science.
The document is copyrighted. Any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research cannot be reproduced without written permission. The content is not intended to be used for anything other than information purposes.
