Schools Discourage Women Scientists (Abstract)

Original Article by Roger Johnson, The Scientist (1, 6-7).

This article considers the "High Attrition Rates" study done by Elaine Seymour and Nancy Hewitt on reasons why science students switch to non-science majors. It focuses on overly aggressive methods used by college professors to "weed out" students in introductory courses.

The "weeding out" tactics seemed to affect female students disproportionately. The female students who switched majors tended to blame themselves for poor course performance, while male students who switched tended to blame poor teaching in that subject area. When compared to non-switchers, the students who switched were equally good students who had arrived at college with comparable levels of preparedness.

A side box to the "The Scientist" article mentions Seyhan Ege and Brian Coppola, chemistry professors at the University of Michigan. They teach an introductory organic chemistry course in which they "encourage students to take responsibility for what they learn." They emphasize learning how to learn rather than rote memorization. Ege and Coppola commented that their students tended to apply the problem-solving skills to other science courses and enjoyed being innovative.

Sheila Tobias, a University of Arizona sociologist mentioned in the article, has copiously researched methods of science education. She feels there is a need for a restructuring of how the sciences are taught: Professors need to improve their teaching skills, and see themselves as a source of encouragement for budding scientists, rather than just challenge those select who are mostfit, to carry on in science. Science departments need to reform the curriculum to slow attrition of perfectly able, but less self confident students.

• Rigden, J.S., S. Tobias. "Tune in, Turn off, Drop out--Why so Many College-Students Abandon Science after the Introductory Courses":Sciences-New York 31(1):16-20, 1991.
• Schaefer, J.P., S.T. Horowitz, S. Tobias. "Minorities in Science". Chemical and Engineering News 69(27): 3, 1991.
• Tobias, S. "Another Look at Research on the Adaptation of Instruction to Student Characteristics" Educational Psychologist 24(3): 213-227. 1989.
• Tobias, S. "Outsiders and Insiders -- Social Factors that Determine Science Avoidance and Alienation". Bulletin of Science Technology & Society 7(1-2): 25-27, 1987.
• Tobias, S., S. B. Megdal. "Rethinking Comparable Worth: Do All Roads Lead to Equity?" Educational Record 66(4): 27-31, 1985.