The Differential Effects Of Female Only Vs. Co Ed Enrichment Programs On Middle School Students' Attitudes Toward Science, Mathematics And Engineering
- Conference
- Location
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Honolulu, Hawaii
- Publication Date
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June 24, 2007
- Start Date
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June 24, 2007
- End Date
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June 27, 2007
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
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Gender and Accessibility Issues in K-12 Engineering Education
- Tagged Division
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K-12 & Pre-College Engineering
- Page Count
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12
- Page Numbers
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12.1408.1 - 12.1408.12
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--1685
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/1685
- Download Count
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402
Paper Authors
Linda Hirsch New Jersey Institute of Technology
DR. LINDA S. HIRSCH is the Program Evaluator in the Center for Pre-College programs. She has a doctoral degree in educational psychology with a specialty in psychometrics and a Masters degree in statistics. She has been involved in all aspects of educational and psychological research for 15 years. Dr. Hirsch has extensive experience conducting longitudinal research studies and is proficient in database management, experimental design, instrument development, psychometrics and statistical programming.
John Carpinelli New Jersey Institute of Technology
JOHN D. CARPINELLI is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Director of the Center for Pre-College Programs at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He previously served as coordinator of activities at NJIT for the Gateway Engineering Education Coalition and as a member of the Coalition's Governing Board. He currently chair's NJIT's Excellence in Teaching Awards Committee and is past chair of the University Master Teacher Committee.
Howard Kimmel New Jersey Institute of Technology
HOWARD KIMMEL is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Executive Director of the Center for Pre-College Programs at New Jersey Institute of Technology. He has spent the past thirty years designing and implementing professional development programs and curricula for K-12 teachers in science and technology. At the college level, he collaborates on projects exploring teaching methodologies and assessment strategies in first-year college courses in the sciences, engineering, and computer science.
Ronald Rockland New Jersey Institute of Technology
RONALD H. ROCKLAND is Associate Dean of the Newark College of Engineering, and an Associate Professor of Engineering Technology and Biomedical Engineering. He received a B.S.E.E. and M.S.E.E. and Ph.D. in bioengineering and electrical engineering from New York University in 1967, 1969 and 1972 respectively. He also received an M.B.A. in marketing from the University of St. Thomas in 1977. He is a 2000 award winner in Excellence in Teaching for NJIT, and the chair of the Master Teacher’s committee. Dr. Rockland has over 20 years of industrial experience in research, engineering, marketing and sales management with several high technology corporations.
Joel Bloom New Jersey Institute of Technology
JOEL BLOOM is Vice President for Academic & Student Services, and Dean of the Albert Dorman Honors College. He received a master’s degree and a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University. From 1983 through 1990, Dr. Bloom served as assistant commissioner in the NJ Department of Education for the Division of General Academic Education, where he was responsible for managing many of the education department’s initiatives (competency testing, curriculum content standards, pre-school programs, and establishment of model effective schools).
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
The Differential Effects of Female Only vs. Co-ed Enrichment Programs on Middle School Students’ Attitudes to Science, Mathematics and Engineering
Abstract
The Center for Pre-College Programs at New Jersey Institute of Technology offers a series of summer programs designed to increase academically talented students’ interest in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering and technology in an effort to increase the number of young students, particularly girls and other traditionally underrepresented minorities, who pursue technological careers. One program in particular, Woman in Engineering and Technology, called FEMME, was designed specifically for young women in an effort to increase the number of women interested in engineering and other technological careers. Most of the programs span grades four to eight because middle school is such an important time for all students to begin thinking about future careers. Research on engineering recruitment indicates that many students, particularly young girls, do not know about engineering careers and have few adults or peers discussing careers in engineering with them. As a result not enough students explore engineering or other technical fields as a career option and therefore do not prepare academically. Programs such as those offered by the Center for Pre-College Programs can be instrumental in informing young students about careers in engineering and technology and assure they receive the academic background required to study for these careers in college. Further, because boys and girls do not differ much in technical abilities but rather in their attitudes toward technological careers including engineering until the later high school years, single-gender programs like FEMME can be particularly effect in reaching young girls and changing their attitudes. Initial evaluations of the FEMME program have been positive but they have been primarily formative in nature. The Middle School Students’ Attitude to Engineering, Science and Mathematics Survey has been developed to measure middle school students’ overall attitudes to engineering, mathematics and science; their knowledge about engineering careers; their self-efficacy in relation to engineering and technology-related skills and who is talking to them about careers in engineering. All students who attended one of the 2006 summer programs at the Center for Pre-College Programs were asked to complete the survey at the beginning and again at the end of their program. Repeated measures analysis of variance techniques were used to examine students’ responses and test for 1) significant increases in students’ attitudes toward science, mathematics and engineering and their knowledge about careers in engineering from the beginning to the end of the program, 2) significant differences in attitude and knowledge between boys and girls, and 3) significant difference between the girls in the single-gender FEMME programs and the girls who attended the other mixed-gender programs.
Introduction
Current trends in the supply of and need for engineers in the workforce portend a significant shortfall of qualified engineering practitioners in the not too distant future. Although demand for engineers is expected to increase faster than for any other profession by 20101, the number of students studying engineering has not changed significantly in the past decade2. As the baby boomer generation begins to retire, this lack of growth in enrollments in engineering programs will have an even greater impact. The under representation of female students is a chronic
Hirsch, L., & Carpinelli, J., & Kimmel, H., & Rockland, R., & Bloom, J. (2007, June), The Differential Effects Of Female Only Vs. Co Ed Enrichment Programs On Middle School Students' Attitudes Toward Science, Mathematics And Engineering Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--1685
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