How to engage, encourage and support more female students to study STEAM. Presented by Dr Gail Cardew, Director of Science and Education, The Royal Institution at STEAM Barcelona (Learning today to solve tomorrow! CosmoCaixa, April 17-18, 2015)

1. How to engage, encourage and
support more female students to
study STEAM
Dr Gail Cardew
Director of Science and Education
The Royal Institution
April 2015

2. • Exists to ‘encourage people to think more deeply
about the wonders and applications of science’
• Founded in 1799 and often regarded as the
‘home of science’
The Royal Institution
• Famous scientists who were also expert
at communicating science

3. • It is a myth that girls are not choosing STEM qualifications
• Girls outnumber boys in STEM qualification choices overall
• Girls outperform boys in STEM qualifications at all levels
• BUT girls are NOT choosing physics post-16
• Percentage of girls choosing physics hasn’t changed for 30
years despite efforts
What do we know?
‘STEM is not for people like me’ Averil MacDonald

4. • Untapped potential in the family
• Parents need to be aware of the full range of
careers available, especially in low income groups
• Mothers in particular need to know their
daughters could be happy in a
physics/engineering career
What do we know?
‘STEM not for people like me’ Averil MacDonald

5. • In 49% of co-ed state schools no girls went on to
take physics post-16 (2011 data)
• Girls in single sex state schools 2.4 times more
likely to study physics post-16 than co-ed schools
• This positive effect not apparent for other science
subjects
What do we know?
‘It’s different for girls’ – Institute of Physics, UK

6. • Less than 5% of 15-year-old girls in OECD
countries contemplate pursuing a career in
engineering or computing (cf 20% boys)
• Girls less able to ‘think like a scientist’
• Girls – even high-achieving girls – have less
confidence in their abilities and are more anxious
towards maths
What do we know?
The ABC of gender equality in education:
aptitude, behaviour, confidence. PISA 2015

7. • Parents and teachers should become more aware
of their own gender biases
• E.g. Why are parents more likely to expect their
sons, rather than their daughters, to work in a
STEM field – even when boys and girls perform
equally well in mathematics and science?
What do we know?
The ABC of gender equality in education: aptitude,
behaviour, confidence. PISA 2015

8. • ‘Parents explain more often to boys than to girls
during shared scientific thinking’
(Crowley et al 2001)
• Parents equally likely to talk to boys/girls about
how to use interactive museum exhibits
• BUT three times more likely to explain science to
boys than girls
• Suggest parents unintentionally contributing to a
gender gap
What do we know?
Museum studies – parents explain science more to
boys than girls

9. • Girls more likely to search for careers information
online than boys, but still don’t choose maths or
science (PISA 2015)
• Making the decision not just based on this
information but the cultural influences on them
throughout their lives
• Start early!
What do we know?

10. • Developed in response to research
– Gap analysis highlights lack of activities for
this group
• Focus is on the approach not the facts
• Mix of mums and dads with daughters,
as well as sons
• Diversity also important
ExpeRimental
Royal Institution (Ri) videos for parents of
pre-school and primary children

11. ExpeRimental
Royal Institution (Ri) videos for parents of
pre-school and primary children
Balancing sculptures

12. ExpeRimental
Fiona Sharkey and daughters from Motherwell,
Scotland, have fun with chromatography

16. • L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre
– 51% girls (age 7–18)
– 85% said their visit changed their attitude towards
science in a positive or very positive way
– 63% said the visit made them more interested in
studying science further (32% already wanted to)
• Ri unconference
Other Ri activities
School activities

17. • Public programme – speakers and audience
• You Tube Channel – more work needs to be done
Other Ri activities
Life-long commitment