Assessment Tools and Handling Pushback
This module provides participants with strategies to evaluate the effectiveness of their initiatives to promote gender equity in science education and methods to address resistance from stakeholders. It introduces practical assessment tools to measure progress in fostering an inclusive environment and highlights approaches to manage challenges such as cultural pushback, misconceptions about gender equity, and institutional inertia.
By the end of this module, participants will:
- Understand how to use assessment tools to track progress in gender equity initiatives.
- Learn strategies for handling resistance from parents, educators, or institutions.
- Explore methods to build community and stakeholder support for gender equity goals.
- Develop a plan to ensure continuous improvement and sustainability of equity efforts.
Part 1. Evaluating Progress in Gender Equity Efforts
Self-reflection questions
How can you incorporate assessment tools such as surveys, focus groups, and classroom observations interviews?
What benchmarks can you set to effectivity improve the female student's participation?
What feedback have you received from female students in relation to their development in STEM subjects?
Part 2. Assessment Tools and Frameworks
Self-reflection questions
- Can you see any noticeable performance gaps between females and males in science subjects?
- How can you use STEM participation metrics to monitor the participation of female students in STEM activities?
- How can you use the metrics to encourage more female students to choose to study science-based subjects such as physics, chemistry and biology?
Part 3. Handling Pushback and Resistance
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Achieving gender equality, especially in areas that are traditionally seen as male dominated subjects, will often be faced with pushback and resistance.
Common sources of resistance could include cultural norms, misconceptions about gender equity, and fear of change.
With the correct strategies in place, we can overcome the resistance, enabling us to create equal opportunities for both female and male students.
Cultural norms
Cultural norms are beliefs and expectations on how we should behave. Cultural norms when looking at STEM subjects would be that the areas are more suited to males, and girls should focus on careers in other areas such as teaching and nursing.
The cultural norms can result in pushback from the females having the desire to develop a career in their preferred field, due to the resistance they may receive, regardless of whether they will thrive in this area.
Challenging the cultural norms will give the females the opportunity to thrive in their chosen area, as well as changing the mindsets of those who have the traditional cultural beliefs.
Misconceptions
There are many misconceptions when we think about gender equity in STEM. Unfortunately, this can have an impact on girls choosing STEM subjects, as well as their career paths.
What are some common misconceptions when thinking about females in STEM based subjects?
• Girls are naturally better in careers such as teaching and nursing.
• STEM careers are too technical for girls.
• Science subjects are too demanding for females.
• Females are not interested in STEM subjects.
• Science careers do not align with feminine values.
Why should we address these misconceptions with girls in the classroom?
Addressing these misconceptions will encourage the girl’s confidence and dispel myths, helping the females believe in their STEM capabilities and breaking down these stereotypes will allow the females to consider careers in a wider range of fields, including science-based roles.
Fear of change
A common barrier faced when trying to break down the gender gap can be the fear of change. Fear of change can lead to discomfort, uncertainty, and concerns about disrupting norms.
This fear can be detrimental when teachers and parents are trying to adopt inclusive practises whereby, they are trying to encourage female students’ participation in STEM subjects.
If we address and face these fears, we can create and develop equal learning spaces that will help to break down the gender barriers, ensuring all students feel equal.
Discussion forum
- Discuss educational campaigns that are in place at your school that address the gender barrier gap.
- Discuss what educational campaigns can be put in place at your school to handle pushback and resistance when female students are faced with misconceptions about the gender gap in STEM careers.
- Role play scenario – a female accepts a job as a marine biologist, she is faced with issues around cultural norms in the workplace. In the role play include how you would address this in the workplace, and how you would resolve the conflict.
Part 4. Building Stakeholder Support and Ensuring Sustainability
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Building stakeholder support and ensuring sustainability is important when looking at gender equality initiatives. The engagement of teachers, parents and community leaders in building networks and support initiatives is important for sustainability and long term effects.
Without a long-term commitment from the teachers and parents, progress can be slow and unsustainable.
How do we engage key stakeholders and establish policies to ensure long term impact?
Teachers and parents play a vital role in their children’s development and perceptions of STEM. By teachers and parents encouraging the teenage girls and supporting them in STEM subjects, this can significantly impact participation rates.
Making the female students aware of STEM careers and opportunities, as well as addressing the common misconceptions, teachers and parents can become powerful advocates for the girls STEM ambitions.
Teachers are at the forefront of gender equity in the classroom. Development programmes for teachers can equip them with the materials and knowledge they need to create inclusive learning environments. Training and knowledge such as ensuring teachers use gender-neutral language, encouraging equal participation in classroom activities, and promoting collaborative learning will contribute to minimising the gender barrier when focusing on STEM subjects.
If we want to ensure a gender equity initiative is sustainable long term then teachers, parents and stakeholders should support the initiatives. School leaders should contribute to creating and shaping policies that promote inclusive education, such as encouraging the female students to sign up for STEM activities and courses, promote female role models and success stories, and implement bias-free lessons.
Educational institutes should embed gender equity in their educational policies. This will promote sustainable change. Policies should be monitored and evaluated regularly. Policies could include structured mentorship programmes, diversity training for teachers, and inclusive STEM curriculum development.
By engaging teachers, parents and stakeholders, advocating for inclusive policies, and promoting long-term commitment, gender equity in STEM subjects and careers can become sustainable, enabling the female students to thrive in science subjects.
Discussion forum
- What can you do to encourage female students' interest in STEM subjects from an early age?
- What strategies can you implement to ensure STEM subjects are as accessible to both males and females?
- What policies can you implement to ensure long term impact?