Re: Help with Thesis on Gender Roles in HS Physics Classroom

[Jack Uretsky <jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV>]

Hi all-
        I hope someone from Italy answers this.  I'm told that there, real
men teach engineering, not physics.
                                        Regards,
                                                Jack
On Tue, 7 Oct 2003, Kilmer, Skip wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> =46rom: Laura Robertson [mailto:larobertson@VASSAR.EDU]
> Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 23:24
> To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
> Subject: Help with Thesis on Gender Roles in HS Physics Classroom
>
>
> Greetings,
>   My name is Laura Robertson and I am a senior at Vassar College who =
> is
> writing a thesis on gender roles in the physics classroom.  I will
> specifically be looking at the issues that females deal with.  I woul=
> d
> greatly appreciate it if you could take some time to fill out this
> questionnaire.  Thank you in advance for your help!
>
> Thank you,
> Laura Robertson
> larobertson@vassar.edu
>
>
> ------
> I know that some of these questions are a bit broad, but I really wan=
> t to
> give you space to add what you feel is relevant information.  Thank y=
> ou
> kindly for taking the time to fill this out!
>
> 1)  Do you notice any stereotypical gender issues in your classroom:
>      a) During in-class discussion? (In "Changing the Pattern of Gend=
> ered
> Discussion" Guzzetti & Williams writes, "Females' reasons for not spe=
> aking
> out were not only because of their lack of self-confidence or fear of
> violating social conventions, but also because they felt intimidated"=
> )
> No
>      b) While working in small groups? (e.g., problem sets?)
> occasionally
>       c) While working in lab? (have you done any work on single-sex =
> working
> lab groups?)
> N, and lab groups are single sex about 1/3 of the time.
>
>
> 2)  Have you used inquiry learning in your classroom?
> yes  Do the students react
> differently to this, as opposed to traditional methods?
> Yes, they learn more robustly.
>
> 3)  Has your school done any training with regards to the issues of g=
> ender
> roles in the classroom/sciences?
> yes
>
> 4)  Is this something that is talked about in your professional circl=
> e?
> rarely
>
> 5) Do you find there are extracurricular activities that help your fe=
> male
> students become more involved in physics?
> no
>
> 6)  Do you find the textbooks are relevant to both male and female le=
> arners?
> yes
>
> 7)  Have you used computers in your classroom? =20
> yes
> If so, do males and females
> appear to be  at the same comfort level with them?
> yes, although if there is a problem with the computers, males are mor=
> e likely to help females than vice versa
>   What types of programs
> do you find most helpful to the physics material?
> Data collection and analysis (Vernier)
>
> 8)  In your opinion, do you think the school counselors encourage the=
>  female
> students in the sciences to the best of their ability?
> yes
>
> 9)  Have you had experience teaching in single-sex classrooms? =20
> no
> If so, what
> differences did you notice between that and a coeducational environme=
> nt?
>
> 10)  Do you find that the social pressures of adolescence affect the =
> female
> students in the classroom?
> yes, but not more than males.
>
> 11)  Are there any additional observations you would like to add?
>
> Thank you so very much for helping with this!

--
"Don't push the river, it flows by itself"
                                Frederick Perls