Social Lives
Author- Neasa Boyle- Researcher in the ALL (Assisting Living & Learning) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University.
It has been well documented that STEM learning is the key to societal growth and economic prosperity considering STEM graduates are becoming more sought after, the benefits of effective STEM education may extend past those who wish to pursue STEM careers. STEM prepares students to adapt to any industry, by enhancing in skills problem-solving, adaptability, and creativity. However, despite these clear advantages, female students are significantly less likely to participate in STEM in school or continue these subjects into 3rd level education. This is particularly true for female students from lower socioeconomic areas.
In Ireland, we see girls in DEIS (disadvantaged, or, delivering equality of opportunity in schools) schools are particularly under-represented in STEM. According to an OECD report less than one-third of engineering and one-fifth of computer science undergraduates were female. Additionally, at age fifteen, only 4.7% of female students compared to 18% of their male counterparts showed interest in STEM, even amongst the highest achieving pupils.
Continue reading “Access, not Ability: Why are young women not engaging with STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) and what can we do about it?”