Encouraging Girls in Math and Science Essay -- Essays Papers

Encouraging Girls in Math and Science An ideal classroom in an elementary school would allow both boys and girls to learn fairly, equally, and also be encouraged to be involved in the classroom. The teacher would expect the same effort from the boys as well as the girls. The teacher would implement a respectful atmosphere where the teacher as well as the students would respect one another. The reality is that girls quickly become discouraged to pursue math and/or science related careers. Girls lose their self-esteem from experiencing negative attitudes from their teachers as well as from the boys in their class. Girls are not encouraged to participate in math and science, and they feel that they are not capable of doing well in these subjects. The low self-esteem is reflected on girls’ actions and choices. Girls become at risk for dropping out of high school, experiencing gender bias in the classroom and on their assessment tests, not enrolling in math and/or science classes, teen pregnancy, and possibly experiencing sexual harassment at school. Therefore, I believe that it is extremely important that teachers realize these risks and try to find solutions in their teaching methods and assessments. Even though drop-out rates are higher among boys than girls, the number of girls who do not return to school or get their GED is higher than boys. Many reasons that girls drop out of school reflect: â€Å"a sense of alienation from school: a lack of individual success and/or that school is not worthwhile†. (MAEC, 1993) Reasons include: â€Å"having a large number of siblings, mother’s educational level, and belief in traditional gender-role stereotypes†. (MAEC, 1993) Girls who don’... ...esearch Matters - to the Science Teacher. Retrieved on March 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/class.htm Kahle, Jane Butler. (1985) Encouraging Girls in Science Courses and Careers. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/encourage/htm Kahle, Jane Butler and Arta Damnjanovic. (1997) How Research Helps Address Gender Equity. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. (1993) Beyond Title IX: Gender Equity Issues in Schools. Retrieved on March 17, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.maec.org/beyond.html NEA. (2001) Be an advocate for gender equity in your classroom, school, and district. Retrieved on March 18, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.nea.org/bt/1-students/1-3-q-b.html Encouraging Girls in Math and Science Essay -- Essays Papers Encouraging Girls in Math and Science An ideal classroom in an elementary school would allow both boys and girls to learn fairly, equally, and also be encouraged to be involved in the classroom. The teacher would expect the same effort from the boys as well as the girls. The teacher would implement a respectful atmosphere where the teacher as well as the students would respect one another. The reality is that girls quickly become discouraged to pursue math and/or science related careers. Girls lose their self-esteem from experiencing negative attitudes from their teachers as well as from the boys in their class. Girls are not encouraged to participate in math and science, and they feel that they are not capable of doing well in these subjects. The low self-esteem is reflected on girls’ actions and choices. Girls become at risk for dropping out of high school, experiencing gender bias in the classroom and on their assessment tests, not enrolling in math and/or science classes, teen pregnancy, and possibly experiencing sexual harassment at school. Therefore, I believe that it is extremely important that teachers realize these risks and try to find solutions in their teaching methods and assessments. Even though drop-out rates are higher among boys than girls, the number of girls who do not return to school or get their GED is higher than boys. Many reasons that girls drop out of school reflect: â€Å"a sense of alienation from school: a lack of individual success and/or that school is not worthwhile†. (MAEC, 1993) Reasons include: â€Å"having a large number of siblings, mother’s educational level, and belief in traditional gender-role stereotypes†. (MAEC, 1993) Girls who don’... ...esearch Matters - to the Science Teacher. Retrieved on March 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/class.htm Kahle, Jane Butler. (1985) Encouraging Girls in Science Courses and Careers. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/encourage/htm Kahle, Jane Butler and Arta Damnjanovic. (1997) How Research Helps Address Gender Equity. Retrieved on March 3, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://narst.org/research/gender2.htm The Mid-Atlantic Equity Center. (1993) Beyond Title IX: Gender Equity Issues in Schools. Retrieved on March 17, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.maec.org/beyond.html NEA. (2001) Be an advocate for gender equity in your classroom, school, and district. Retrieved on March 18, 2001 from the World Wide Web. http://www.nea.org/bt/1-students/1-3-q-b.html