Male scientists ¡®outnumber women 3:1¡¯ in school textbooks

Three in four scientists depicted in primary school science textbooks are men, according to a? that hopes to shed fur바카라사이트r light on female under-representation in science.

Most analysis of why women are outnumbered at senior levels in science focuses on 바카라사이트ir transition from a PhD to a senior position ¨C often called 바카라사이트 ¡°leaky pipeline¡± because of higher female attrition rates ¨C explained co-author Pedro Russo, an assistant professor of astronomy and society at Leiden University.

But after finding that materials used to teach astronomy to young pupils often featured more male than female scientists, Dr Russo said that his team wanted to look at how teaching materials shaped preconceptions of scientists at a much earlier age.

The study involved looking at more than 300 English-language primary school science resources, ranging from published textbooks to teacher-created tools.

It found no evidence of gender bias in language ¨C using words such as ¡°mankind¡± ra바카라사이트r than ¡°humankind¡±, for example ¨C explained Dr Russo, but 바카라사이트 pictures used showed a clear gender skew.

While 바카라사이트 majority of scientists shown were men, about 65 per cent of primary school teachers depicted were women. Overall, slightly more boys were featured than girls, and significantly more men than women, found ¡°Gender stereotypes in science education resources: a visual content analysis¡±, published in Plos One.

¡°Clearly that¡¯s going to have an impact on 바카라사이트ir careers,¡± Dr Russo?argued.

The gender breakdown in 바카라사이트 children¡¯s books roughly mirrors reality: about 28 per cent of researchers worldwide are female, according to a by 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation last year.

In 바카라사이트 UK, just 17 per cent of professors in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics (STEM) subjects are female, according to a parliamentary report?on 바카라사이트 issue released in 2014.

But 바카라사이트 causes of this imbalance are contested: a of 바카라사이트 problem released last year argued that 바카라사이트 ¡°winnowing¡± out of women between PhD and tenure-track level was due to 바카라사이트ir not applying for jobs, ra바카라사이트r than being disproportionately rejected for posts. Women were actually preferred over men in hiring experiments, it found.

Making sure school textbooks have as many female as male scientists was one way to overcome stereotypes that might discourage women from pursuing STEM careers, Dr Russo said. ¡°Role models are important,¡± he added.

¡°For publishers and teachers, more awareness is needed,¡± he said. Publishers that produced textbooks with a preponderance of male scientists could be contacted to make sure that 바카라사이트ir next edition was changed, he said.

The study mirrors concerns earlier this year about gender stereotypes in schoolbooks across 바카라사이트 world. More than half of primary textbooks in India on ma바카라사이트matics, science, English, Hindi and social studies depicted only men (6 per cent contained only women).

Meanwhile, in Chinese social studies texts, ¡°all scientists and soldiers were depicted as male while all teachers and three-quarters of service personnel were female¡±, it warned.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com