Candidate: Paula Johnson Roberts

Date: Monday, June 7, 2004 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Merze Tate Center, Sangren Hall, Room 3202

Committee: Dr. Jainping Shen, Chair
Dr. William Cobern
Dr. Donald Thompson

Abstract: The National Council for Research on Women (2001) finds that girls are more successful in math and science programs incorporating a cooperative, hands-on approach than in programs that stress competition and individual learning. Such studies have prompted evaluators and educators to investigate why so few girls choose STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. However, their findings reveal little about how girls' self-perceptions and views influence their success or failure in programs designed specifically for them.
This qualitative study sought, through informal conversations, interviews, and observations, to determine contributing factors to girls' relative success in a science program designed to maximize their achievement. The participants in this study included girls that attended 'a girls school of choice' for at least three years, representing ninth and 12th graders respectively. Their three-year attendance allowed the girls to have completed three years of science curriculums at different grade levels which provided a comparative base to discuss their perceptions of science across academic years. A total of 20 students participated in the study.
Qualitative inductive analysis was used to discover critical themes that emerged from the data. The results were presented within the context of the following five themes: (a) learning styles, (b) long-term goals, (c) subject (over) matter, (d) classroom climate/environment, and (e) evaluation. The research found the factors that girls identified as contributing to their relative success in a program specifically designed to maximize their achievement in science were: (a) cooperative learning, (b) a custom-tailored curriculum, and (c) positive influences.

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