Promoting Girls in Science - A Longitudinal Study of Self-Concept in Profile Classes

Previous studies show that girls have a lower scientific self-concept than boys. Since interest starts declining over the course of lower secondary school, this exacerbates the issue that fewer girls aspire to choose a scientific profession. In this article, we present the concept of scientific profile classes. Profile classes pursue the goal of promoting girls by way of supporting their scientific self-concept. A longitudinal study was conducted to examine the self-concept of students in profile classes (Sample I N=53; Sample II N=54). The development of girls in profile classes was compared to both boys in profile classes and girls in the regular classes. Our results show that there is no gender difference in self-concept between girls and boys in the profile class. This study provides initial indications of how girls in profile classes develop in terms of their self-concept.

Hair mineralogram analysis for health assessment: Statistical bias from gender and aesthetic treatments

The hair mineralogram is a complementary multielement analysis that provides information to aid in the diagnosis of a patient’s health status; however, aesthetic treatments can affect the analysis results. This research aimed to identify standard patterns among mineralogram results and some variables, such as gender and the use of aesthetical treatments that can point out differences and causes of variation in elemental concentrations in hair. For this purpose, 151 hair samples were obtained from volunteers and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This work is pilot research, part of a project to encourage girls to the STEM area, called “Girls in Science”, with financial support from the Brazilian Government. Mineralogram results were compared through statistical analysis. The results of natural hair indicate significant differences (p<0.05) between genders in the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Sr, and Mo, being higher in women. This behavior was related to the remodeling of minerals in bones, which is different between men and women. The metal concentration in natural hair from women was also compared among different skin colors and no significant differences were observed. Hair treatment, in contrast, has affected significantly the concentrations of many elements. Concentrations increased in hair submitted to dyeing only or with straightening, when compared to natural hair, especially for Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba, and Ni. These results confirm the recommendation of physicians to let the hair grow free of aesthetic treatments for at least 3 months before performing the mineralogram.

Awardees of the IUPAC 2021 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering

On time to celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, IUPAC announced the awardees of the IUPAC 2021 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering:

Spotlight on Women in Science

February 11, 2021 marked the sixth annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science – a day commemorating the global effort to increase the advancement and engagement of women and girls in science and technology fields. Women play critical roles in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields, however gender equity is yet to reach parity, with women accounting for only one third of researchers worldwide

On the Celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Assessment of the Factors Mediating Women’s Empowerment in Scientific Research in Saudi Arabia

We present this study as a contribution to celebrate “the International Day of Women and Girls in Science”. Women’s empowerment in scientific research is a crucial issue in the United Nations “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. This study aimed to investigate the obstacles facing women researchers in scientific research in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional survey was used to assess women researchers’ perceptions towards the roles of universities, donors and women researchers. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis were used for data analysis. Findings showed that the overall assessment of women’s empowerment in scientific research is moderate and faces a mixture of obstacles mainly due to dissatisfaction with the role of donors. Moreover, the role of universities has not yet reached a satisfactory level, while the role of women researchers was satisfactory. The results demonstrated that the role of the university enhances the role of the donor institutions, while the role of researchers has a significant positive influence on the role of the university. No significant association between the role of the researchers and donors was achieved. In conclusion, despite the great achievement by women researchers in empowering themselves as scientific researchers, they still need more support from the university and donors.

Gender Difference in the Relationship between Self-Efficacy and Performance in Science among Secondary School Students in Migori County, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender difference in the relationship between self-efficacy and performance in science. A sample of 327 Form Four students in Migori County was used. Questionnaires, focus group discussion guide and interview schedules were used for data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation. Qualitative data were organized into themes and interpreted. Overall, boys had higher levels of performance in science (Mean=39.21) than girls (Mean=30.80) and the mean difference was statistically significant (t=3.89, p=.00). Boys had higher levels of self-efficacy (Mean=2.89) than girls (Mean=2.81) and the mean difference was not statistically significant (t=1.56, p=.12). Further, the overall correlation between self-efficacy and performance was statistically significant with r=.236 (p=.002, n=327). The correlation between self-efficacy and performance for boys was significant with r=.250 (p=.005, n=200) and non-significant for girls with r=.085 (p=.558, n=127). It is concluded that boys outperform girls in science and record higher scores in self-efficacy than girls. In addition, the variance shared in common between self-efficacy and performance is higher for boys than girls. To improve performance and also reduce the gender gap in science performance, self-efficacy should be enhanced for students but more particularly so for girls.

Announcement of the 2020 L’Oreal Women in Science awardees

During the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO revealed the laureates of the 22nd international awards for women in science.

The Increasing Prevalence of Girls in stem Education in the Arab World

There has been much scholarly research, especially in the West, exploring the underrepresentation of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (stem) fields. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of research on women in the Middle East, and the elements that drive them to enroll in stem are shrouded by the stereotypical image of the “oppressed Arab women.” Despite the dearth of studies, the available literature has demonstrated that the percentage of women pursuing an education in stem fields is higher in the Middle East in comparison to the West. According to 2015 data from unesco, regional averages for the share of female researchers are 39.8 percent for Arab states and 32.3 percent for North America and Western Europe. In this paper, we ask: what is the Middle East doing differently? How has the region, or at least parts of it, successfully nurtured women in stem? What factors have aided women from the region to study stem subjects? Our modest hope is that gaining a better understanding of this phenomenon will start the larger conversation of intellectual exchange between East and West in a way that has yet to be seen by the world of academia, and that will have a positive impact on females around the globe.