UPDATE Final Conference -

Outcomes and Results Madrid, 23th - 24th of November 2009

Main Findings about Information Technology Education from Gender Point of View in Slovakia

Tatiana Sedová,Institute of Philosophy at the Slovak Academy of

Sciences

A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Towards Defining of Literacy

Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning to enable an individual to achieve his or her goals, to develop his or her knowledge and potential, and participate fully in the wider society.

UNESCO

And What Means So Called Technological Literacy? (1/2)

Many people have a tendency to perceive technology in terms of its artefacts, computers, cars, televisions, toasters, pesticides, flu shots, solar cells, genetically engineered tomatoes, and so on. Often they do not see technology in terms of the knowledge and processes that create these artefacts, nor, in particular, are they aware of the various implications for society that result from existence of these Technologies

(ITEA, 2000)

And What Means So Called Technological Literacy? (2/2)

„The predominant focus in technology education tends more towards the development of knowledge relating to the fabrication of artefacts, this is at the expense of the development of critical awareness in young people of the technologically mediated world they inhabit and the way in which their future lives area, and will be, shaped by it.“

(Defining Technological Literacy, ed. by John R. Daker. Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, pp.1)

Types of Knowledge Taught and Related with Technical Form of Knowing (1/2)

Knowing things Knowing about things

The two kinds of knowledge might yet be importantly different if the mental states involved have different sorts of causal origins in the thinker’s cognitive faculties involve different sorts of propositional attitudes, and differ in other constitutive respects relevant to the relative vagueness and communicability of the mental states. (David B. Martens)

Types of Knowledge Taught and Related with Technical Form of Knowing (2/2)

Topic: Motivation and barriers, which led to under representation of girls in the field of informatics (Slovakia case)

Objective: WP5 aimTo achieve knowledge about motivation factors and obstacles regarding gender imbalance in IT study

Research Design (1/3)

Data were gathered through questionnaires, by in depth -interview and via case studies. The research was concentrated on investigation of motives and obstacles, which intervene by choosing the specialization of study with accent on students of IT and engineering studies. The questionnaire was distributed in autumn 2007 across two largest Slovak universities that has been chosen as useful and appropriate sources of information:

Comenius University at Bratislava - Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics

Slovak University of Technology - Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

Research Design (2/3)

The target groups were the students of II and V year of studies. From original number of 200 students, were planned half of girls and half of boys, we have finally worked with sample 123 respondents. That was the result of low number of girls in these classes, which we analysed in question (52 girls, 71 boys). Research collection by studied field covered up these subjects:

Research Design (3/3)

Field of Study Total Numbers

Per Cents

1 = Telecommunications 31 25,2 %

2 = Physics Engineering 2 1,6 %

3 = Microelectronics 1 0,8 %

4 = Applied Informatics 5 4,1 %

5 = Computing/ Robotic 1 0,8 %

6 = Industrial Informatics 2 1,6 %

7 = Electrical Engineering 5 4,1 %

8 = Economic and Financial Mathematics 26 21,1 %

9 = Mathematics and Management 15 12,2 %

10 = Applied Mathematics 12 9,8 %

11 = Electronics 7 5,6 %

12 = Automobile Electronics 16 13,0 %

Not Given 0 -

Total 123 100 %

The Girls Predominance on Universities, Boys Domination on Polytechnics (1/3)

In the 2004 have been graduated on universities approximately 30 000 students, 16 700 women (55,7%) and 13 300 men (44,3%). The structure of graduates reproduces the structure of students depending on faculty specialization. Women primacy is on traditional university´s studies – social sciences, humanities, medical sciences, economics and men primacies are represented on depending of specialization equable.

The Girls Predominance on Universities, Boys Domination on Polytechnics (2/3)

Diagram 1: Graduates of Public High schools in Slovak republic according to specialization of faculties (to 31. October 2004)

Type of Faculty Total Number

of Graduate

s

Women Men Women in %Numbe

r% Numbe

r%

Universities 13 893 9 312 57,3 % 4 581 35,5 % 67,0 %

Technical 6 481 1 978 12,2 % 4 503 34,9 % 30,5 %

Economical 6 651 3 976 24,5 % 2 675 20,6 % 59,8 %

Agricultural 1 606 706 4,3 % 900 7,0 % 44,0 %

Arts 538 282 1,7 % 256 2,0 % 52,4 %

Public Universities Total

29 169 16 254 100 % 12 915 100 % 55,7 %Source: The Institute of Education Informations and Forecast, 2005

The Girls Predominance on Universities, Boys Domination on Polytechnics (3/3)

The split with regard on gender segregation begins on postgraduate level of university education. In spite of fact, that women representation within studying on university are more then men and at the same equal participating on a number of graduates, in a shift to postgraduate level is the situation changing. The number of women on postgraduate studies was e.g. on 200415 % lower than their number of university studies. That was only 40,9 %, so less then half of all postgraduates.

The Dimensions of Questionnaire Representing These Topics

1. Gender awareness in Slovak society in general - gender stereotypes, gender roles, gender sensitive language etc.

2. Family: experience with technologies, techniques, support, traditions, what and who influenced on decision making

3. School: teachers by the type of sex, access to girls and boys, the contents of educational process and the type of lessons, educational courses, the stage of education, decision by choosing the type of school

4. Free time: exhibitions with accent on techniques and technologies, free time activities

5. Individual aspect: idea about future career, idea about implementation, technological literacy, self-estimate, skills, competences

Key Findings Related with Aim of WP5

Focused group interviews only with girls (40) also indicated some factors, which influenced the motivation on choosing some traditionally male dominated subject of study. Relevant factors seem to be a need to integrate technology and science in previous stages of education in terms of active behaviour activities of children. In addition, narrative interviews have shown technical literacy and education should be supported by teachers by using experimental, intuitive and open style with emphasis of all subject taught and no gender bias.

Based on the Slovak survey carried out within UPDATE project following factors have been identified like these that can feed into motivation and learning behaviours.

Motivating Factors

Encouragement by parents; the Slovak sample showed only a moderate predominance of the influential parent to choose non conventional career

Equal access to integration of science knowledge and technology in early education

New ways of teaching science an technology at every level of previous stages of education based on experiments, intuition, connexion to real life of people

Clear and detailed information on career an prospective occupation in science and SET (science, engineering and technology)

No gender bias in education Motivating teachers who use innovative, creative methods to attract

young people both girls and boys to learn science and technology Attitudes to science and technology at age about 15 have also been

shown an influence whether students continue to study SET and take career path in SET

Following Factors Seem to be Obstructive Barriers

Gender biased education under Slovak circumstances especially at secondary level of education

Lack of technology literacy of teacher and gender stereotype in teaching led to de interest of young people to study SET

New ways of teaching science an technology at every level of previous stages of education based on experiments, intuition, connexion to real life of people

Low self esteem of girls related to gender bias in education, or strong criticism against their skills, knowledge and competences together with the pressure of competition

Lower confidence of girls in their academic abilities; moreover, when self-efficacy is closely related to performance in the field SET

Lack of appropriate information about prospective career in the filed of SET

At highest level of education postgraduate study, Ph.D. female students are not motivated to continue career because of motherhood responsibility

Conclusions (1/2)

By and large The Bologna process and the Lisbon strategy has been

adopted (a joint system of credit, adoption of comparable degrees, promotion of mobility for students and academic stuff) but implementation leads to negative effects we face now

Marketization an commodification of educational system and both have emerged into the discourse practice

Institutions responding to the market demands by meeting the individual interests of the students consumers

Increasing private schooling – with negative effect on quality of education

Hunting for students due aid policy by Ministry for Education, Youth and Sport

Conclusions (2/2)

More Specific Conclusion No sign of inclusion of gender dimension into education

policy, on contrary there is masculine presumption especially in the field of STEM

No innovation has been adopted towards teaching technology and to adapt technological literacy

There is no specific promotion to encourage both girls and boys to choose subject like information technology and generally speaking SET

Lack of role model especially women researchers and scientists in education and in media

Other Projects Carried Out in Slovakia that Confirm Our Outcomes and Results

Fact of absence gender sensitive pedagogy and a lot of gender stereotypes and prejudices that influence motivation and the choice of study were identified recently on the base of several surveys in Slovakia

Women of science in Slovak republic. National report on situation of women of science- input towards national debate. (E. Gramatova, M. Piscova M. Szapuova, D. Velichova,) 6th FP EC, WS Debate, Institute of Sociology AV ČR, Prague, 2007

Women and Science at the Slovak Academy of Science, ed. T. Sedová, Veda, Bratislava, 2005

On the road to gender equality. Women and men in science, ESF, Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs and Family (Eds. M. Szapuová, Z. Kiczková, J. Zezulová,) IRIS, Bratislava, 2009

Situated science. Ed. M. Szapuová, project KNOWING-knowledge, Institution and Gender. An East-West Comparative Study, FP6, IRIS, Bratislava, 2009

Recommendations (1/2)

To support young girls and boys to have ideas, to grow ideas and realise them needs extreme changes in curricula and an innovative pedagogy, free from gender bias in order to promote reflection and understating in school technology courses at primary and secondary level of education. I.e. increasing participation of young people in SET study means to eliminate barriers, institutional and structural, cultural and societal, and encourage students to take career in science, engineering and technology. To move towards this objective and achieve increasing rates of girls in SET presupposes no space for gender bias.

Recommendations (2/2)

Promoting equal opportunities for girls and boys to overcome a clear difference in application behaviour : girls are less likely to apply for IT studies than boys

Changing views on technology by exploring the possibilities of working in science, engineering, technology via media too

Look beyond the stereotypes – masculinity´s technology Promoting the students and the teachers literacy, especially in sense of

technological literacy with emhasis on its societal impacts

Training teachers to be concerned about gender consciousness , e.g. in study material

Develop new innovative ways to teach technology at every level of education system

Understand the pros and cons of gender sensitive pedagogy

Some questions to consider

It is possible to treate girls and boys as individual and not as a groupe? Are teachers assumptions hold about what girls and boys can do relevant

when they take up of the subject? What girls and boys bring to their technology lessons, i.e. their learned

priorities and ways of working? Is technology education, vocationally oriented? If , yes, what does it

means for gender equality? (see Draft, Preliminary Handbook for Teachers , edited by John R, Dakers and Wendy Dow, pp. 20)

Towards gender sensitive pedagogy

What does it means gender sensitive pedagogy under assumption that „ girls favour the emotive issue in technology education whereas boys,

favour rational?“ And what about types of knowlede acquistion if we adopt epistemology

of gender differencies ? (Compare statements by John Dakers in draft, pp 17-18)

A big challenge for technology education in Slovakia

?•Despite this fact and the fact that education policy in Slovakia acknowledges knowledge-based society, innovation, utilisation of human resources and equal opportunities, there is more rhetoric rather than real policies of gender mainstreaming implementation in school system. On contrary, no gender sensitive pedagogy and a lot of gender stereotypes and prejudices that influence motivation and the choice of study were identified on the base of several surveys, including UPDATE aims. •     Filadelfiová, J.: The Teaching profession. Aspects of Gender. Equality in School. ASPEKT, Bratislava 2008 , also available on http://www.ruzovyamodrysvet.sk

•Sedová, T.: The Report on WP5, UPDATE, website, http://update.jyu.fi avalaible also on http://www.klemens.sav.sk/fiusav/ including questionnaire, data in SPSS and Excel format, selected interviews