Julie Lynne's Report & Flyer

Where are the Women in Math & Science

There are more men in math and science than women. This needs to change. But wy? And more importantly, how? Is it because professors tend to favor male students? That confendence is laking for women and girls in these areas? Their parents' inflence? Or that they see that, other than teaching, science and math jobs are widely solitary, rather than socail.

Some say the reason haveless natural talent. This may or may not be true, but if it is, it means that the women who are in science and math had to work arder then the mena nd are more dedicated.

Studys and servays show that professers favored male students and their learning styles. They call on them more often, and when women are called on at all, they aew interupted by men.

Studys by the Univesty of Wisconsin Milwalukee (UWM) says self-confidence from parents and teachers is imporant for young girls' interest. Ateention should be given to building confindence in the abilities early in their education.

"The relationship between confidence and interest is close," says UWM Professer Nadya Fouad. "If they feel they can do it, it feeds their interest."

Many girls see science and math as difficult, annd don't take any more classes than they have to. They don't realize they are cutting themselves off from opportunties in college and careers. And of course, old stereotypes die slowly. Boys and girls both say that boys are stronger at math and science.

Parents' influence their daughters' interest in math. Parents provide more math-supportive emviroment fo their sons than for their daughters. Their attitudes, particularly stereotypes they had about whether math and science were more important for boys than for girls, have a signficant effect on their children's later math and science achiechvement, and even on their eventul career choices.

Girls steer away from careers in math & science because they view them as a solitary rather than social job.

"In order to increase the number of women in science, we also need to make younf women more interested in these fields, and that means making them aware that science is a social endeaver that involoves working with people." says Jacqelynne Eccles, a senior research professer at the University of Michigan (UM) for Insititute Socail Research and the UM Institute for Reasearch on Women and Gender.

All in all, We neev more women in sciece. Buy your daughters' math toys. Answer their questions. Let them speak. Make 'em watch the Discorvery Channel. Let them learn.