Pilot study on university students' opinion about STEM studies at higher education

The percentages of women enrolled in higher education in the STEM sector are significantly lower than those of men. Overall, gender representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees in Europe is not balanced. The Leaky Pipeline phenomenon, marked by gender stereotypes, makes the latent gender gap a relevant topic of study. Studies exist on academic performance, self-perception, self-efficacy, outcome expectations; however, studying gender stereotypes linked to STEM studies is also essential. It is necessary to know the social and family context in which young people have grown up, as well as their perception of such studies. To study gender stereotypes of university students about STEM studies, a questionnaire has been designed for empirical validation. For the design of the instrument, to be validated, items from other instruments have been taken and adapted to Spanish. After the design of the instrument, an online pilot study has been applied in the University of Salamanca, the University of Valencia and the Polytechnic University of Valencia. A total of 115 people answered the questionnaire. The results of the pilot study reveal that the study sample is not particularly marked by gender stereotypes about gender equality in STEM. Also, the sample is receptive to learning about science and applying it in their lives. On the other hand, the idea that women have to give up their studies and careers to look after their families and children is rejected. The idea that men are more interested in university studies than women is also rejected. At the same time, the sample is aware of the difficulties that women encounter in the STEM sector. Another optimistic point of the results is that there are no alarming data on bad experiences due to gender. In the future, the study will be replicated on a larger scale

Approccio user-oriented per il rinnovamento energetico: l’analisi etnografica applicata ai progetti di riqualificazione

Il paper presenta le attività connesse alla ricerca etnografica adattata alle esigenze del progetto TripleA-reno (Affordable, Attractive, Accessible deep renovation). L’etnografia è una metodolo-gia tipica dell’antropologia. Si basa primariamente sull’osservazione dei partecipanti, durante la quale il ricercatore partecipa alle attività quotidiane, alle interazioni e agli eventi di un gruppo di persone come un mezzo per imparare gli aspetti espliciti e nascosti della loro vita quotidiana. L’obiettivo specifico è comprendere le interazioni tra gli occupanti dell’edificio e l’edificio stesso, così come le loro relazioni e i loro ruoli all’interno dei processi di ristrutturazione. Attuare questa ricerca sul caso di studio italiano ha consentito di formare una base di conoscenza delle opinioni dei soggetti coinvolti sul piano nazionale analizzando le risposte a un questionario, opportuna-mente studiato, veicolato sia attraverso il web sia in formato cartaceo. I dati raccolti vengono poi confrontati con le interviste raccolte presso i singoli residenti dell’edificio oggetto di studio, che sarà sottoposto a una prossima ristrutturazione, per verificare come si modifichi l’atteggiamen-to degli abitanti rispetto ai processi di rinnovamento energetico quando coinvolti direttamente. L’obiettivo è quello di capire quali siano i fattori più stimolanti da tenere in considerazione per rendere maggiormente accettabile, attraente e accessibile qualsiasi progetto di rinnovamento

Science engagement and literacy: A retrospective analysis for students in Canada and Australia

Given international concerns about students' pursuit (or more correctly, non-pursuit) of courses and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, this study is about achieving a better understanding of factors related to high school students' engagement in science. The study builds on previous secondary analyses of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) datasets for New Zealand and Australia. For the current study, we compared patterns of science engagement and science literacy for male and female students in Canada and Australia. The study's secondary analysis revealed that for all PISA measures included under the conceptual umbrella of engagement in science (i.e. interest, enjoyment, valuing, self-efficacy, self-concept and motivation), 15-year-old students in Australia lagged their Canadian counterparts to varying, albeit modest, degrees. Our retrospective analysis further shows, however, that gender equity in science engagement and science literacy is evident in both Canadian and Australian contexts. Additionally, and consistent with our previous findings for indigenous and non-indigenous students in New Zealand and Australia, we found that for male and female students in both countries, the factor most strongly associated with variations in engagement in science was the extent to which students participate in science activities outside of school. In contrast, and again for both Canadian and Australian students, the factors most strongly associated with science literacy were students' socioeconomic backgrounds, and the amount of formal time spent doing science. The implications of these results for science educators and researchers are discussed