麻豆淫院

Studies have shown that girls face multiple inequalities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sector that lower self-confidence, undermine recognition of their abilities, and lead to doubt about their success in STEM education and professions (Salehjee & Watts, 2022; Wong & Copsey-Blake, 2023). A recommendation to resolve this challenge is to focus on designing and delivering initiatives that help schoolgirls engage with STEM (Prieto-Rodriguez et al., 2020). This blog post discusses one such initiative, a series of nudges into STEM, which I implemented in a Scottish primary school using children’s storybooks and movies in collaboration with the school’s class teacher.

The project

The project involved embedding children’s favourite stories into two science classes for 30 girls aged 11–13 at their primary school, alongside their regular science curriculum. This initiative serves as a series of ‘nudges into STEM’ by providing a familiar platform of children’s stories and fictional characters to help children learn unfamiliar scientific concepts, knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis. The participant girls’ learning included several small nudges, such as reading children’s stories, including the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book, and watching The Wizard of OZ movie, through the lens of science, writing stories, science poetry, designing artefacts, keeping a research journal (scrapbook), engaging in problem solving classroom-based activities, and reflecting on beliefs and opinions about the use of science in everyday life.

Findings

‘At the end of each science story’s activities, the girls’ feedback was very positive, and they wanted to do more of these activities in the future.’

At the end of each science story’s activities, the girls’ feedback was very positive, and they wanted to do more of these activities in the future. The three key themes that showcase the self-recognitions of the girls as ‘science-y’ include:

1. Intersection of science and stories development: The impact of using stories to learn science grew from mere excitement to reading stories in the light of science to discussing other stories, such as Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, and characters of ‘witches who have broomsticks’, as science-originated stories and characters. For instance, as one girl reflected: ‘Like, you know, in stories, there are witches who have broomsticks, so it means they need energy to fly – so that’s science too, and so it can’t be magic.’
2. A medium to talk about misconceptions: The stories provided a pedagogical tool for the teacher and girls to talk about what is fiction and what is real, and in this conversation, the teacher supported the discussion on misconceptions portrayed in the stories. One of the girls mentioned: ‘Mike’s TV got smaller, and Augustus got too much stretched like rubber – but it’s not scientifically proven…’ Moreover, another girl said, ‘Tin Man rusting, although tin doesn’t rust.’
3. An appreciation of science in building curiosity: Reading and conversing about stories that they already know about, but from a very different perspective, that is, a scientific angle, ignited curiosity to view everyday objects and processes in a curious and adventurous manner. As one of the girls mentioned: ‘Lots of things make me curious about science now, models of bubbles, liquids and solids … I wanted to find something new and develop it further.’

Nudges into STEM

The findings reveal success in the girls being science-y as they all confidently read, write, critique and converse about scientific concepts, practices and skills portrayed in their favourite children’s stories, building curiosity about science, and appreciating that science is part of their everyday lives. There is no way to know now how long-lasting the impact of learning science through children’s stories will be, nor what future experiences may affect these girls, either enhancing or reversing the project’s changes. For certain, such science initiatives should continue to feature in school science to increase – or at least maintain – impact on girls’ aspirations to continue with STEM education and professions, and to impact their after-school science lives in a positive and equitable manner.

References

Prieto-Rodriguez, E., Sincock, K., & Blackmore, K. (2020). STEM initiatives matter: Results from a systematic review of secondary school interventions for girls. International Journal of Science Education, 42(7), 1144–1161.

Salehjee, S., & Watts, D. M. (2022). Intersectionality as personal: The science identity of two young immigrant Muslim women. International Journal of Science Education, 44(6), 921–938.

Wong, B., & Copsey-Blake, M. (2023). Pragmatic, persistent, and precarious: The pathways of three minority ethnic women in STEM higher education. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 21(7), 2123–2142.

Acknowledgement

This project was funded by the Royal Society of Chemistry.