Encouraging High School Females to Enroll in the Physical Sciences: A Reflection Twenty Years Later
Location
DeSantis Room 1054
Format Type
Plenary
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
17-1-2020 10:15 AM
End Date
17-1-2020 10:35 AM
Abstract
The role of an educator is to encourage students to pursue academics to their full potential. When non-traditional role models in professions typically dominated by men are introduced to an urban high school setting, the effect on the female high school population produced an environment encouraging enrollment in the physical sciences and pursuing non-traditional careers. This narrative analysis revisits the original participants and their stories gives hope that positive interventions can have a lasting impact on the population served. By experiencing the professions and educational pathways of role models in non-traditional careers, the students were able to reflect on the encounters and effect positive change in their course selections, college majors, and careers (Carmel-Gilfilen & Portillo, 2016; Eslamifar, 2014; Kolko, 2010). A qualitative analysis was used to explore and describe the participants’ experiences of the intervention program twenty years later. Data was collected through phone interviews with five high school females who participated in the original program. Based on insights and knowledge acquired during the mentorships as high school students, each of the participants gained a deeper understanding of their potential, accepting the rigors and asserting their academic prowess, and finding fearlessness in challenging traditional professions held by male counterparts. The findings revealed female high school students who are mentored by women who work in non-traditional professions and encouraged their charges to enroll in the physical sciences are more likely to explore and pursue careers in similar vocations inclusive of STEM.
Keywords
STEM, Non-traditional professions, Role Models, Mentorship, Narrative Analysis
Encouraging High School Females to Enroll in the Physical Sciences: A Reflection Twenty Years Later
DeSantis Room 1054
The role of an educator is to encourage students to pursue academics to their full potential. When non-traditional role models in professions typically dominated by men are introduced to an urban high school setting, the effect on the female high school population produced an environment encouraging enrollment in the physical sciences and pursuing non-traditional careers. This narrative analysis revisits the original participants and their stories gives hope that positive interventions can have a lasting impact on the population served. By experiencing the professions and educational pathways of role models in non-traditional careers, the students were able to reflect on the encounters and effect positive change in their course selections, college majors, and careers (Carmel-Gilfilen & Portillo, 2016; Eslamifar, 2014; Kolko, 2010). A qualitative analysis was used to explore and describe the participants’ experiences of the intervention program twenty years later. Data was collected through phone interviews with five high school females who participated in the original program. Based on insights and knowledge acquired during the mentorships as high school students, each of the participants gained a deeper understanding of their potential, accepting the rigors and asserting their academic prowess, and finding fearlessness in challenging traditional professions held by male counterparts. The findings revealed female high school students who are mentored by women who work in non-traditional professions and encouraged their charges to enroll in the physical sciences are more likely to explore and pursue careers in similar vocations inclusive of STEM.
Comments
References
Carmel-Gilfilen, C., & Portillo, M. (2016). Designing with empathy. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 9(2), 130-146. doi:.1177/1937586715592633
Eslamifar, A. (2014). A tool for empathetic user experience design (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations &Theses Global. (1570448).
Kolko, J. (2010). Abductive thinking and sensemaking: The drivers of design synthesis. Design Issues, 26(1), 15-28. doi:10.1162/desi.2010.26.1.15