Ways teachers can spark girl’s interest in Sciences?
Working in the field of Science, it irks me when I see little girls disinterested in Science. This study states – young women don’t avoid STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors and professions for lack of math and science skills.
Women are choosing other disciplines in spite of their good skills in these “traditionally masculine fields.” In India there are additional factors of patriarchal society where boys are favored by the families to opt for science and technology.
Profession in science is represented as a Scientist – the muddle head confused male figure surrounded by broken apparatus and colored chemicals explains this scientific paper. India needs to put immense effort in the overall school education system and more so for educating our girls in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
A huge misconception is people studying Science or Mathematics are not cool. On boarding well trained and well paid teachers in Sciences and Mathematics can be of big help to initiate enthusiasm among girls in STEM and then a lifelong engagement towards it –
Role model/Mentor: By positioning a good teacher in front of a middle school going girl, we automatically connect them towards STEM as they see a role model in the field of science.
Learning through Story Telling: Teachers who have natural flair for storytelling, Science and Mathematics have proven to be better. Story telling has high impact on human brain and that is why we remember most of the moral stories told to us as a part of our bed time routines. I still remember my science teacher giving examples from our daily lives to explain the concepts evaporation, conduction and convection, when I was at class V.
Enhance logical thinking in girls: In India girls grow up seeing their mothers and other female figures of the family following age old patriarch rules and bound with superstitions where boys are given unfair advantage. Girls should be encouraged to ask questions around her will automatically be drawn towards STEM fields.
Discussion stories about women in Sciences: Teachers can bring out more stories of women in sciences and this will create a welcoming field for girls to pursue. Science and Mathematics historically have very little representation of women. School textbooks discuss even fewer women scientists. This creates a lack of role models among girl students and has been discussed elsewhere too.
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