New Perspectives on the Status of Women in Physics

Transcription

1 New Perspectives on the Status of Women in Physics Jill Marshall STEM Education (and Physics) University of Texas, Austin

2 Are there enough women in physics? If not, why not?

3 The Psychobiosocial Model Halpern, Wai & Saw (2005) Posits three possible causes: psychological (such as a preference for working in fields other than physics), biological (physical differences in the brain), and social (barriers and discrimination) In this model, these forces interact!

4 Biological causes The only well documented, robust and consistent difference in male/female brains (statistically speaking) that has been shown to correlate with STEM performance is spatial visualization capability- particularly the ability to visualize mental rotations. This skill, measured as early as second grade, has been shown to correlate with STEM participation and STEM achievement.

5 Data from Michigan Tech (Sorby, 2015) Between 1996 and 2016 incoming engineering students have been tested using the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT: R). The gap favoring male students has been consistent and steady for 20 years.

6 And the gap has been measured across countries, although magnitude of gap and average score varies. Women in Norway score higher than men in Saudi Arabia. Lippa, Collaer & Peters (2010)

7 PSU Mental Rotation Test A C D

8 But the differences correlate with experiences Play with construc1on toys Shop, dra6ing, and mechanics classes 3- D computer games Certain sports Mathema1cs skills [Sorby, 2015]

9 Dr. Jill s test of spatial visualization Draw the 2-D pattern piece(s) from which the sleeve of a man s suit coat is made.

10 Did yours look like this?

11 Psychological causes Widespread dissemination of results [like those I mentioned in conjunction with spatial reasoning!] has been shown to result in stereotype threat- a condition in which a stereotype undermines the confidence and performance of a member of a group associated with the stereotype.

12 Stereotype threat Steele, C. M. & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, Spencer, S.J., Steele, C.M. & Quinn, D.M (1999). Stereotype threat and women s math performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35, Dar-Nimrod, I. & Heine, S.J. (2006) Exposure to scientific theories affects women s math performance, Science, 314, p.435.

13 Psychological causes continued: The choice to enter physics Wanting to help people as an innate preference National Academy of Engineering (2008). Changing the conversation: Messages for improving public understanding of engineering. Washington DC: National Academy Press. Carol Tavris, The Mismeasure of Woman. We need the desert island experiment.

14 Social causes Repeated studies document discrimination in teachers attitudes and science faculty hiring practices. Riegle-Crumb, C, & Humphries, M. (2012) "Exploring Bias in Math Teachers Perceptions of Students Ability by Gender and Race/Ethnicity." Gender & Society. 26(2), Corinne A. Moss-Racusin, John F. Dovidiob, Victoria L. Brescoll, Mark J. Grahama, & Jo Handelsman (2012). Science faculty s subtle gender biases favor male students, PNAS

15 So what can we as physics teachers do to bring more women into the field? 1. Make classes more interactive 2. Make classes more collaborative 3. Focus on examples of women, women guest speakers 4. Have classes exclusively for women 5. Explicitly discuss underrepresentation of women.

16 What works to address these issues Role models (heroes and holidays), active engagement IS NOT ENOUGH. But still needed! Fewer than half of general education physics students could name a woman scientist (Marshall & Dorward (1997)) and 7/20 future teachers could not name a woman scientist. 14/20 could not name a woman physicist (even though 6/20 identified Marie Curie as a woman scientist) (Marshall 2014)

17 What works: Spatial skills training. Sorby, S. (2001). A course in spatial visualization and its impact on the retention of female engineering students. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 7, Devon, R., Engel, R. & Turner, G. (1998). The effects of spatial visualization skill training on gender and retention in engineering. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 4,

18 (Sorby, 2015) At Michigan Tech, incoming engineering students who failed the PSVT:R were given the opportunity (and later required) to take a 1 credit course designed to develop spatial visualization skills. Women were around 17% of the group tested and 43% of the group failing the PSVT:R. Among those who scored well on the PSVT: R, 70% of women graduated with an engineering degree, and 62% of men. Among those who failed and took the course, 76% of women and 61% of men went on to graduate.

19 What works- student engagement, collaborative learning Hazari et al. (2010) found that engagement, focus on conceptual learning worked but no correlation with collaborative learning. Pollack, Finkelstein & Kost (2010) found that active engagement did not reduce gender gap ( raises all boats )

20 What works- Talking about the problem Factors that affect the physical science career interest of female students: Testing five common hypotheses, Zahra Hazari, Geoff Potvin, Robynne M. Lock, Florin Lung, Gerhard Sonnert, and Philip M. Sadler, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 9, (2013) [only] Discussions about women s underrepresentation have a significant positive effect [on choosing a science career].

21 Women s contributions in physics revisited- In what fields of physics have women contributed the most? [astronomy, nuclear, crystalography] Why do you think that is? [Economic reasons [Women were paid less and therefore employed as computers in astronomy; Nuclear physics developed at the same time women were allowed in universities, etc.]

22 What works continued Wise Schooling seems to work: Preliminary investigation of instructor effects on the gender gap in introductory physics, Kimberley Kreutzer and Andrew Boudreaux, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 8, Published 4 May cultivate optimistic student-teacher relationships, - affirm domain belongingness in women, - practice nonjudgmental responsiveness, - value multiple perspectives, and - emphasize the expandability of knowledge.

23 Stereotype threat can be minimized With growth mindset curriculum: Blackwell, L. S.; Trzesniewski, K. H.; Dweck, C. S.. (2007) Implicit Theories of Intelligence Predict Achievement Across an Adolescent Transition: A Longitudinal Study and an Intervention. Child Development, Jan 2007, Vol. 78 Issue 1, p , ) With values affirmation: Akira Miyake et al. (2010). Reducing the Gender Achievement Gap in College Science: A Classroom Study of Values Affirmation, Science, 330, 1234

24 So there are strategies that work And there are resources available, if we are willing to use them.

25 Resources Herstories: v=ofe-mjfjr5w&feature=youtu.be (Contributions of 20 th Century Women in Physics) AIP lesson plans on the history of women in physics and astronomy:

26 Women in Physics: A collection of reprints in honor of Melba Newell Phillips Edited by Jill Marshall and the AAPT Committee on Women in Physics. Proceeds benefit the Phillips Medal Endowment.

27 Melba Newell Phillips

28 Women in Physics A collections of reprints from The Physics Teacher, the American Journal of Physics, PRST-PER, and Physics Today. Hard copy and e-book. Book signing to follow, courtesy of Tom O Kuma.

29 For more information Contact Marshall, J.A. & Dorward, J.T. (1997). The effect of introducing biographical material on women scientists into the introductory physics curriculum. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 3 (4), "Enhanciunderstanding and appreciation of physics through teaching"

30 References Wai, J., Lubinski, D. and Benbow, C. P, (2009). Spatial ability for STEM domains: Aligning over 50 years of cumulative psychological knowledge solidifies its importance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(4), Halpern, Diane, Wai, Jonathan & Saw, Amanda, The psychobiosocial model, in A.M.Gallagher & J.C. Kaufman (Eds). Gender differences in mathematics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (p.48-72). (2005) Lippa, R.A., Collaer, M.L., Peters, M. (2010). Sex differences in mental rotation and line angle judgments are positively associated with gender equality and economic development across 53 nations. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39,

31 More on spatialvisualization Sorby, S. (2001). A course in spatial visualization and its impact on the retention of female engineering students. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 7, Devon, R., Engel, R. & Turner, G. (1998). The effects of spatial visualization skill training on gender and retention in engineering. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, 4, Velez, M.C., Silver, d. & Tremaine, M. (2005) Understanding visualization through spatial ability differences. Proceedings of Visualization IEEE, pages Minneapolis, Min Oct, Nuttal, R.L., Casey, M.B., Pezaris E. (2005). Spatial ability as a mediator of differences on mathematics tests: a biologicalenvironmental framework. In A.M.Gallagher & J.C. Kaufman (Eds). Gender differences in mathematics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (p ).