Abstract
We compared the interactions between teachers and children with disabilities enrolled in an adapted robotics program to examine potential gender differences in these interactions. We coded video recordings from instructional sections of the HB FIRST® robotics program, an adapted robotics program developed through a partnership between a pediatric rehabilitation hospital and FIRST® Canada (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The program consists of 6-weekly, two-hour workshops. We coded videos from four separate single-gender workshops (two all-girls, and two all-boys) involving 22 children aged 6 to 8 years-old. Results revealed that boys and girls display different styles of engagement during the robotics, and teachers’ behaviour is functionally responsive to these differences. The differences in the interaction styles of boys and girls identified in this study may contribute to gender differences in students’ perceived STEM competence, and ultimately interest in pursuing STEM education and careers.
Highlights
Children with disabilities are pervasively under-represented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education (American Association for the Advancement of Science 2014; National Science Foundation 1996; Thurston et al 2017)
As our intention was to examine gender differences in this study, we focused on the two girls-only workshops, and two junior level 1 workshops held in close temporal proximity to the girls-only workshops
To identify potential gender differences in teacher–student interactions during STEM instruction, we focused on the portion of the sessions where the leader of the robotics program provided lecture-style instruction on science concepts relevant to what was being built later in the session
Summary
Children with disabilities are pervasively under-represented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education (American Association for the Advancement of Science 2014; National Science Foundation 1996; Thurston et al 2017). Research shows that students with disabilities are less likely than their peers without disabilities to enroll in science or math classes in high school, or to pursue postsecondary majors in STEM-related fields (American Association for the Advancement of Science 2014; Beck-Winchatz and Riccobono 2008). Youth with disabilities often receive a lack of encouragement from parents or teachers to pursue a career in a STEM field (Alston and Hampton 2000). Individuals with disabilities are faced with both a lack of role models in STEM careers (Lee 2011; Napper et al 2002), and limited understanding from their employers regarding their disability
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