Discover!ng Women in STEM: Girls into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths

Richard Watermeyer; Vicki Stevenson

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2010)

Research and theoretical papers

Discover!ng Women in STEM: Girls into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths

Published 16-03-2010

Richard Watermeyer
Vicki Stevenson

Richard Watermeyer
Cardiff University

Vicki Stevenson
Cardiff University

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How to Cite

Discover!ng Women in STEM: Girls into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. (2010). International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 2(1). https://genderandset.open.ac.uk/index.php/genderandset/article/view/57

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Abstract

This paper explores the role of Discover! Saturday Clubs as informal educational spaces devised as a means of broader dissemination and experiential learning for&school-aged girls, with fledgling interests in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Discover! Clubs are a UK based initiative organised by Women into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE), researchers at&Cardiff University&and&Careers Wales. STEM is traditionally characterised as suffering from a dearth of female representation at school and within the work force. This paper explores the extent to which Discover! works to remedy this deficit and enable young women to take an active interest and involvement producing a new version of knowledge worker, benefitting the wider knowledge economy. We draw explicit links between educational attainment and credentials and labour inclusion, to interrogate notions of worth and validity of extra mural/after-school activity. Ultimately, Discover! is approached as a STEM initiative, indicative of a general trend towards the proliferation of public awareness, understanding, inclusion and participation within science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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Keywords

Female Learners, STEM, Single Sex Learning, Same Sex Role Models, Experiential Learning, Science Engagement

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Author Biography

Richard Watermeyer

Richard Watermeyer is a researcher at Cardiff University working on a public engagement initiative - ‘The Beacon for Wales’. His background is as an educational sociologist whose research interests span subjectivity, innovative pedagogy, experiential learning, cultural theory, the public understanding of science, and ethnography. He is an affiliate of The ESRC Centre for Economic and Social Aspects of Genomics (CESAGen).