Quelle: Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung -IFF-, Universität Bielefeld; Bielefeld (IFF-Forschungsreihe, Bd. 16), 2004. 65 S.
Inhalt: "On exploring the gender imbalances in German higher education, two paths can be deduced from the empirical data. The higher the status, the lower the female participation ratio ('vertical gender inequality'); and there is 'horizontal gender inequality', i.e. with the exception of medicine and economics, women and men choose different subjects. When it comes to deciding on courses of study, men prefer science and engineering, and women prefer the humanities and social sciences, i.e. men prefer to take courses leading to graduation in the German system with a 'diploma', i.e. courses in theoretical mathematics, while women prefer courses leading to the 'state examination' and a teaching certificate, i.e. mathematics education. The ratio of women students of mathematics - a former men's domain - has more or less continuously increased over the past 25 years, without being followed by higher numbers of women in the higher status positions of the academia. With a survey (standardized questionnaire) issued at three German universities, the situation and perspectives of students of mathematics has been explored. A follow-up in-depth survey gave insight into the individuals' experiences during their studies of mathematics. The goal of these surveys was to ascertain whether the increase in female participation in mathematics has led to changes in the issues surrounding gender imbalance. We take an organizational theory approach, arguing with Joan Acker (1992) that universities are gendered organizations where gender imbalances exist and are reproduced on the structural level, on the symbolic level, on the level of interactions and, finally, on the mental level. Our assumption is that gendering also occurs within scientific disciplines. The question that we try to answer runs as follows: once structural processes of gendering begin to diminish - as is the case with mathematics - can we observe processes of de-gendering on the other three levels as well? The paper starts with a short overview on gender relations in german academia, with the main emphasis on mathematics and science & technology. In the second part of the paper, we explain the theoretical framework of the project as well as the methods applied. We then present the main results of our study and finally discuss whether our assumption proves to be right or has to be modified." (extract)
Quelle: Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung -IFF-; Bielefeld: Interdisziplinäres Frauenforschungs-Zentrum - IFF (IFF-Forschungsreihe, Bd. 17), 2004. 89, [15] S.
Inhalt: "Welches Bild haben Mathematikstudierende von ihrer Disziplin? Was fasziniert und
interessiert sie an der Mathematik? Was waren ihre Gründe für die Studienfachwahl,
was sind mögliche Gründe für einen Studienfachwechsel oder Studienabbruch? Wie bewerten
Mathematikstudierende die Studienbedingungen und die Studiensituation hier an der
Universität Bielefeld? Wo und wie nehmen sie Prozesse der Geschlechterstrukturierung,
Geschlechterasymmetrien und Geschlechterstereotypen (in) der Mathematik bzw. in ihrem
Studienalltag wahr? Zur Beantwortung dieser und weiterer Fragen werden in diesem Band
ausgewählte Ergebnisse aus einer Fragebogenerhebung und aus qualitativen Interviews
vorgestellt, die in den Wintersemestern 2002/03 und 2003/04 an der Universität Bielefeld
durchgeführt wurden. Dabei soll der Blick vor allem darauf gewendet werden, ob und
inwieweit sich hinsichtlich der genannten Aspekte Unterschiede (eher) zwischen den
Geschlechtern oder den Studierenden unterschiedlicher Studiengänge (verstanden als
Fachkulturen) zeigen." (Autorenreferat)
CEWS Kategorie:Studium und Studierende, Naturwissenschaft und Technik
Dokumenttyp:Monographie
Pedagogical reform and college women's persistence in mathematics
Autor/in:
Strand, Kerry J.; Mayfield, M. Elizabeth
Quelle: Journal of women and minorities in science and engineering, Vol. 8 (2002) No. 1
Inhalt: "Significant gender differences persist in the election of mathematics courses and
math-related majors in college. Recent research suggests that part of the blame lies
with conventional pedagogical approaches and that alternative approaches emphasizing
practical applications, collaborative problem solving, and group work make mathematics
more understandable and appealing to all students, particularly women. Using questionnaires
administered to 355 traditional-age female college students, the authors examined
the relationship between alternative teaching strategies in high school mathematics
classes and two categories of outcome variables: mathematics-related attitudes and
mathematics persistence in college. Multivariate analysis showed that experience with
this so-called female-friendly pedagogy is positively related to students' math-related
attitudes and that these attitudes predict math persistence in college. However, the
authors' data also indicate that alternative teaching strategies have no discernible
direct effect on students' choices of mathematics courses or mathrelated." (author's
abstract)|
CEWS Kategorie:Studium und Studierende, Naturwissenschaft und Technik
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Mathematicians, attributional complexity and gender
Autor/in:
Stalder, Daniel R.
Quelle: Journal of women and minorities in science and engineering, Vol. 8 (2002) No. 2
Inhalt: "Given indirect indications in sex role and soda! psychology research that mathematical-deductive
reasoning may negatively relate to social acuity, Study 1 investigated whether mathematicians
were less attributionally complex than nonmathematicians. Study 1 administered the
Attributional Complexity Scale, a measure of social acuity, to female and male faculty
members and graduate students in four Midwestern schools. Atlrihutional complexity
(AC) is the ability and motivation to give complex explanations for behavior. Study
1 found a significant interaction between field and gender. Only among women did mathematicians
score lower on AC. In addition, an established gender difference in AC (that women
score higher than men) was present only among nonmathematicians. Studies 2 and 3 offered
some preliminary support for the possibility that it is generally female students
who score tow on AC who aspire to he mathematicians and for the underlying view that
female students' perceived similarity to mathematicians can influence their vocational
choices." (author's abstract)|
Quelle: Journal of women and minorities in science and engineering, Vol. 7 (2001) No. 1
Inhalt: "What are some of the barriers to women's achievement in postsecondary settings, particularly
in math and science? How can educators support the development of females to ensure
that they reach their potential? Nonintellectual factors may improve the prediction
of academic success beyond intellectual dispositions, and yet the typical coed university
is still a chilly climate for women. What other issues are occurring in the social
context for female students? This article explores the "cycle" of women's experience
of learning, focusing on students in an introductory math course and on preservice
teachers. Implications for graduate women students are also considered." (author's
abstract)|
CEWS Kategorie:Studium und Studierende, Naturwissenschaft und Technik, Frauen- und Geschlechterforschung
Dokumenttyp:Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Identifying determinants of academic selfconfidence among science, math, engineering,
and technology students
Autor/in:
Huang, Peneolope M.; Brainard, Suzanne G.
Quelle: Journal of women and minorities in science and engineering, Vol. 7 (2001) No. 4, S. 315-337
Inhalt: "This study attempts to identify determinants of the gender gap in science, math,
engineering, and technology (SMET) students' levels of self-confidence in math, science,
and overall academic ability. Results from multivariate regression analyses of 336
undergraduate engineering majors at the University of Washington (UW) who completed
the Engineering Student Experience Survey point to perceived respect from professors
as the strongest determinant of female academic self-confidence, whereas the perceived
quality of teaching is the strongest predictor among male students. Results from multivariate
regression analyses of the Undergraduate Retention Study, a longitudinal study of
nine cohorts of female undergraduates interested in SMET study at UW, support the
finding that female students' selfconfidence levels tend more than those of male students
to be influenced by external factors. Analyses also reveal the determinants of math
self-confidence to be different from factors that determine science self-confidence.
These factors are found to vary by class level as well." (author's abstract)|