The impact of educators in informal science learning sites (ISLS) remains
understudied from the perspective of youth visitors. Less is known
about whether engagement with educators differs based on the age
and gender of both visitor and educator. Here, visitors (5–17 years old)
to six ISLS in the United States and United Kingdom (n¼488, female
n¼244) were surveyed following an interaction with either a youth
(14–18 -years old) or adult educator (19þ years old). For participants
who reported lower interest in the exhibit, more educator engagement
was related to greater self-reported learning. Younger children and adolescents
reported more engagement with an adult educator, whereas
engagement in middle childhood did not differ based on educator age.
Participants in middle childhood showed a trend toward answering
more conceptual knowledge questions correctly following an interaction
with a youth educator. Together, these findings emphasize the
promise of tailoring educator experiences to visitor demographics.
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Science and Math Interest and Gender Stereotypes: The Role of Educator Gender in Informal Science Learning Sites
Interest in science and math plays an important role in encouraging STEM motivation and career aspirations. This interest decreases for girls between late childhood and adolescence. Relatedly, positive mentoring experiences with female teachers can protect girls against losing interest. The present study examines whether visitors to informal science learning sites (ISLS; science centers, zoos, and aquariums) differ in their expressed science and math interest, as well as their science and math stereotypes following an interaction with either a male or female educator. Participants ( n = 364; early childhood, n = 151, M age = 6.73; late childhood, n = 136, M age = 10.01; adolescence, n = 59, M age = 13.92) were visitors to one of four ISLS in the United States and United Kingdom. Following an interaction with a male or female educator, they reported their math and science interest and responded to math and science gender stereotype measures. Female participants reported greater interest in math following an interaction with a female educator, compared to when they interacted with a male educator. In turn, female participants who interacted with a female educator were less likely to report male-biased math gender stereotypes. Self-reported science interest did not differ as a function of educator gender. Together these findings suggest that, when aiming to encourage STEM interest and challenge gender stereotypes in informal settings, we must consider the importance of the gender of educators and learners.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1831593
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10303926
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Frontiers in Psychology
- Volume:
- 12
- ISSN:
- 1664-1078
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract Gender stereotypes are harmful for girls’ enrollment and performance in science and mathematics. So far, less is known about children’s and adolescents’ stereotypes regarding technology and engineering. In the current study, participants’ (
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Societal stereotypes depict girls as less interested than boys in computer science and engineering. We demonstrate the existence of these stereotypes among children and adolescents from first to 12th grade and their potential negative consequences for girls’ subsequent participation in these fields. Studies 1 and 2 ( n = 2,277; one preregistered) reveal that children as young as age six (first grade) and adolescents across multiple racial/ethnic and gender intersections (Black, Latinx, Asian, and White girls and boys) endorse stereotypes that girls are less interested than boys in computer science and engineering. The more that individual girls endorse gender-interest stereotypes favoring boys in computer science and engineering, the lower their own interest and sense of belonging in these fields. These gender-interest stereotypes are endorsed even more strongly than gender stereotypes about computer science and engineering abilities. Studies 3 and 4 ( n = 172; both preregistered) experimentally demonstrate that 8- to 9-y-old girls are significantly less interested in an activity marked with a gender stereotype (“girls are less interested in this activity than boys”) compared to an activity with no such stereotype (“girls and boys are equally interested in this activity”). Taken together, both ecologically valid real-world studies (Studies 1 and 2) and controlled preregistered laboratory experiments (Studies 3 and 4) reveal that stereotypes that girls are less interested than boys in computer science and engineering emerge early and may contribute to gender disparities.more » « less
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Abstract Objective Engaging in romantic relationships in adolescence may inadvertently increase participation in appearance culture and the risk for eating pathology. Little research has considered this effect, particularly as it relates to adolescents' gender identity and sexual attraction. Therefore, this study examined the associations among relationship status, gender, and sexual attraction in adolescents' eating pathology.
Methods Data from the first wave of the EveryBODY study, a large sample of Australian adolescents aged 11–19 years (
n = 3262,M age = 15.00, 53.80% girls), were used. Participants reported their relationship status and eating pathology (fasting, purging, binge eating, driven exercise, steroid use, and shape/weight concerns) using an online survey.Results Logistic regressions adjusting for age and BMI percentile revealed that romantic relationships were associated with higher adjusted odds (AORs) for reporting clinical frequency/severity threshold of fasting, purging, steroid use, and shape and weight concerns (AORs: 1.34–3.68). Relative to boys, girls had higher adjusted odds of reporting clinical frequency/severity threshold of all eating disorder features (AORs: 1.47–7.40), except for steroid use for muscle gain. Adolescents who reported same‐sex attraction, were unsure of their sexual attraction, or did not endorse any sexual attraction had greater adjusted odds of reporting clinical frequency/severity threshold of fasting, purging, and shape and weight concerns (AORs: 1.35–1.83) than those with only other‐sex sexual attraction. Interactions among relationship status, gender, and sexual attraction were nonsignificant.
Conclusions Romantic experience emerged as a novel correlate for adolescents' eating pathology. Future research should uncover the contextual factors within relationships that may contribute to this association.
Public Significance The initiation of romantic relationships is normative during adolescence. However, adolescents' romantic desirability is often determined by their physical appearance, increasing the risk for eating pathology. Among a large sample of Australian adolescents, romantic involvement was associated with greater likelihood of clinical threshold eating pathology for adolescent boys and girls, regardless of sexual attraction. It is urgent to identify the factors within romantic relationships that are associated with eating pathology.
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.503237
