Education Report Roundup

STEM Careers

By Erik W. Robelen — March 30, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A new report pulls together existing research on the social and environmental factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering.

The report was produced by the Washington-based American Association of University Women with support from the National Science Foundation of Arlington, Va. One research finding that it highlighted is that when teachers and parents tell girls their intelligence can expand with experience and learning, they do better on math tests and are more likely to say they want to continue studying the subject. Another finding suggests that negative stereotypes about girls’ math abilities can lower their test performance.

“Just describing that to students can actually make the effect go away,” said study co-author Christianne M. Corbett, a research associate at the AAUW.

The study urges educators and parents to “spread the word” about girls’ and womens’ achievements in math and science to combat stereotypes; teach girls that intellectual skills are acquired and not a product of innate talent, and explain to them that buying into negative stereotypes can diminish achievement.

A version of this article appeared in the March 31, 2010 edition of Education Week as STEM Careers

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math
Student Well-Being Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Power of Emotion Regulation to Drive K-12 Academic Performance and Wellbeing
Wish you could handle emotions better? Learn practical strategies with researcher Marc Brackett and host Peter DeWitt.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz What Lowers Teacher Turnover? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz Which State Is About to Pass a ‘Science of Reading’ Law? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz What is a Project 2025 Author Doing at the Education Department? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 11, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
5 min read