December 2016 researchers from New York University , the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , and West Chester University , who conducted the study , stated that this assumption can have serious ramifications on girls ’ confidence in math and their desire to pursue a career in the field .
December 2016 researchers from New York University , the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , and West Chester University , who conducted the study , stated that this assumption can have serious ramifications on girls ’ confidence in math and their desire to pursue a career in the field .
Female elementary school teachers can also pass on their own anxieties concerning math to their girl students , according to a study done by the University of Chicago . Sian Beilock , the main author of the study , stated that , when female teachers have math anxiety ( and 90 % of elementary school teachers are female , which heightens the likelihood of that occurring ), female students are more likely to believe the stereotype that girls are not as good as math . The male students were not at all affected by their teachers ’ math anxiety .
Mrs . Jenny Lark , AP Psychology teacher , said , “ It actually causes that self-fulfilling prophecy , where , overtime , sometimes people do become worse at a subject or better at a subject just because of what they ’ re telling themselves about it .”
Women who do pursue a passion for STEM end up facing a different challenge : the frequently male-dominated classes . Mrs . Jill Ronstadt , science teacher , said that , while she did not feel like she had to work harder than her male peers , she had to be assertive in the classroom in order to make herself heard .
“ I had to learn how to have a voice ,” Ronstadt said .
Women who “ aren ’ t as extroverted or might not want to engage as much or are just a quiet personality by their own nature ” might have difficulty asserting themselves in the maledominated fields , according to Ronstadt .
A study done by Yale University revealed further biases at the collegiate level . Researches sent out resumes that were identical except for the name attached — one applicant was named John , and the other named Jennifer . When professors at top
universities compared the two , John was ranked higher on competence , how likely they were to be hired , and how willing they were to mentor the student . On average , John was offered $ 4,000 more per year than Jennifer despite the two having the exact same qualifications .
Why is it so important that women enter STEM fields ? In the past , solutions to problems were viewed from an overwhelmingly male perspective . This has lead to there being a 50 % chance that women opposed to men will be misdiagnosed after having a heart attacks , which prevents women from getting the proper treatment they need .
According to National Geographic , women also tend to be given incorrect dosages of prescription medication as well as feel worse side effects due to the fact that clinical trials for most medications
Despite opposition , many women throughout history have thrived in STEM . Marie Curie , for example , discovered 2 elements and was one of the first people to work with x-ray technology .
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