Improving girls' attitudes towards science

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of an outreach project, called the `Scientist Badge for Brownies and Girl Guides', on science attitudes and achievement of girls aged 6-12. The programme reached nearly 1500 girls and consisted of ninety minutes of hands-on activities led by university science student volunteers. Participation appeared to improve the image of scientists held by all girls, but especially in the case of the older Girl Guides. Responses to specific statements designed to assess science attitudes appeared to be age-related: compared to older girls, fewer young participants believed that they will be hurt doing science and more believed that they should participate in regular science activities during their meetings. Although all participants enjoyed the programme, there was a steady decline in confidence in their own scientific ability, with obvious drops at ages 8 and 10. It appears that a small effort by volunteers can have a significant impact on both science achievement and attitude of young girls; however, more effort is required to improve the confidence of a group which is at serious risk of avoiding science.