e c n e i c S n i n meen iin Wom Women Science n Science
MSUM promotes changing the culture of STEM education Faculty members present innovative strategies at National Women’s Studies Conference MSU Moorhead’s presentation by Women’s Studies faculty at the National Women’s Studies’ Association meeting in November received overwhelmingly positive feedback, indicating an urgent desire to change STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.
T
he presentation by Linda Fuselier, Claudia Murphy and Anita Bender, Inclusive Science: difficult dialogs between Women’s Studies and the Sciences, highlighted curriculum changes at MSUM, which were based on the research of MSUM Bioscience Professor Linda Fuselier and West Virginia University Professor J. Kasi Jackson. Their research focused on perceptions of collaboration, equity and values in science among female and male college students.
Why all the fuss? The advantage the United States has enjoyed in the global STEM economy is eroding and causing concern for STEM education, research & development, and our STEM-based economy. The U.S. share of global high technology exports has fallen from 30 to 17% in the past 20 years, and U.S. publications in STEM areas have remained constant while those from Japan, the European Union, South Korea and China have risen (NAS 2007). Top technology firms are going overseas for talented workers (Rosser & Taylor 2009). The U.S. is no longer producing competitive STEM workers and entrepreneurs (Rosser & Taylor 2008).
10
Alumnews Winter 2011
> MSUM Bioscience Professor Linda Fuselier.
Why are we falling behind? “Over the past 20 years the National Science Foundation has done much to get women in science, but they don’t stay,” Fuselier said. “The culture of science has to change.” A large body of research shows that small instances of gender discrimination accumulate and impede women’s progress in scientific careers. Fuselier’s research revealed that there are slight differences in support for gender equity among female and male college students. In a masculine-normative science culture these differences may emerge as unintentional gender biases that discourage women from pursuing or remaining in STEM careers. With the goal of producing graduates who are able to critique and change STEM culture, Women’s Studies professors plan new curriculum initiatives that will enhance science education among non-science majors and increase awareness of issues related to inclusivity in STEM culture among science majors. The research is shaping several new initiatives at MSUM emphasizing women in science.