The gender divide in STEM: Strategies to promote interest in engineering

The gender divide in science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be a point of conversation and research. Within our secondary classrooms we still find a distinct enrollment divide in the number of girls who study physics as compared to boys, with the number of boys who study biology generally less than girls (chemistry is often about equal).

This is not exclusively a Canadian phenomenon. A study conducted looking into the intentions of 15-year-olds found girls all over the world express more interest in studying biology, agriculture, and health sciences, while boys are generally more interested in studying areas connected to computers, engineering, and mathematics (Sikora & Pokropek, 2012).

Click here for the complete article

Authors:

Tasha Richardson, OCT, B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A.Assistant Curriculum Leader – Science, Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute.

Julie Vander Meij K-12 Coach, TDSB  @JFVandermeij

(noscript)