Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering

ISSN for PRINT: 1072-8325

For Online Access

Best Paper Award Selection - Editorial Board Site

2001, Volume7

Issue 1

78 pages

Issue price - $42.00

Yalem Teshome
Women's Studies and African American Studies Programs, 341 Carrie Chapman Catt Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011

Nancy Maushak
Texas Tech University, College of Education

Krishna Athreya
Women’s Programs in Engineering, Cornell University

This article presents results from two studies conducted as part of the evaluation activities of the FUNTIVITIES project, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project to increase girls' and women's interest and comfort level in science and math. The first study was conducted to develop instruments and to assess the impact of informal activities on attitudes toward hands-on science, math, and gender-related issues. The second study was conducted to establish baseline data—the first step in a longitudinal study that will follow participants through high school and college. Our findings show minor differences between girls and boys in their responses to the constructs relating to participation, importance, and future need to know math and science. Girls showed a slightly higher mean, implying greater recognition that achievement in science and math is not related to gender. Females also rated the overall importance of science and math higher than males. Some of our results are inconsistent with earlier literature obtained in a study setting different from ours, which was informal, with hands-on science training and gender-equity training of trainers/teachers.

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