OUGD603 - Research Brief - Primary Research

OUGD603

Research Brief

Primary Research

I have experienced this issue first hand. I studied physics at A-level and was one of three girls in a class of around 38 students. All of the physics teachers at the 6th form centre I attended were male. I didn't receive any blatant sexism, however, I was greatly discouraged by my teachers. It is unclear whether this was because I was a female or because I struggled with the subject.

The research conducted does match with my experiences at 6th form as I did well in the subject in secondary school, receiving my highest grade of all the GCSE's I sat in physics. Research shows that boys and girls do equally well at GCSE-level physics.

I attended a co-ed school which meant girls were two and a half times more likely to not do A-level physics in comparison to students from girls schools.

Twice the percentage of girls who went on to do A-level physics came from schools with a sixth form. My secondary school only taught up to the age of 16.


I will ask female friends who study STEM subjects to see if their experience in physics education is similar to mine.

Questions:
Do you think women are underrepresented in your area of study?
Do you think there are/are you aware of any female role models within your field of study?
Have you experienced any gender bias (conscious or unconscious) within your field of study? 
Have you ever experienced behaviour that has implied that women do not belong in the workplace or do not merit respect?
Were you actively encouraged by your formal education (school/college/6th form) to enter a STEM subject? 


Responses 

Claire, 22
The University of Leeds, Studying for a BSc in Physics with Astrophysics.

Do you think women are under-represented in your area of study?

At the University of Leeds, the department is headed by Professor Helen Gleeson, the head of the academic/learning is Professor Alison Voice, the support staff are female, the lab tech is a woman, and we do actually have a high proportion of women making a difference within the physics department here at Leeds. However, we as a university actually have one of the higher proportions of females – significantly so within academic staff, and lie at 30% per fresher intake. Other universities have a female intake of down to 5% of the fresher class.

Whilst my experience at university has been one where females have a strong presence within the field, it is not general of all universities and we are far off being on par with the number of males that enrol in STEM subjects each year.

Do you think there are/are you aware of any female role models within your field of study?

Unless you follow the right sort of social media/news, I think it is difficult to identify with female role models in Physics. It is very rare that any female physicists make national headlines - with the exception of Jocelyn Bell Burnell who recently won a Nobel prize/£300 million grant. However, this was recognition for work completed in 1967, so it is likely that the greatest discoveries in the time that we are in education/pursuing STEM careers will not be largely publicised until it does not matter anymore.

Within the physics department at the University of Leeds, there are several female lecturers/researchers that have done extraordinary research and one that has been awarded an OBE; this female representation may not be seen in other universities.

I think the most important thing about female role-models in Physics/STEM is that we need to be able to identify with them. Whilst the Nobel Prize-winning achievements are amazing pieces of work, it is hard to identify with those women as role-models, because it is unlikely that the majority of women within STEM will go on to win Nobel prizes. I think finding role-models within academia and the workplace local to you, is the best way to motivate yourself to excel as a woman in STEM; you can get to know these people, ask them about their experiences and how they progressed to their role etc., which is the best opportunity to be able to start to follow your own goals. If you can see someone do what you aspire to do within your workplace/university, you are more likely to be able to succeed because you can see yourself doing what they have achieved.

Have you experienced any gender bias (conscious or unconscious) within your field of study?

When asked what degree, I study there is always significant surprise when the answer is “Physics with Astrophysics”; whether this is due to the fact that it is a difficult subject or the fact that I am female is undetermined, but there is always still a surprise that I am good at what I study,

Have you ever experienced behaviour that has implied that women do not belong in the workplace or do not merit respect?

For my placement year, I worked within a factory where on each shift there was 150-200 men and at most 10 women, and this ratio was even smaller when I first joined. The attitude of men in the factory in part was derogatory in both the sense of under-estimating capability (intelligence/strength/task ability) to inappropriate humour and sexual remarks/staring. Depending on your character and personal ability to adapt to different social/professional scenarios, I feel this workplace would be an intimidating/uncomfortable place to work, that would discourage younger women from pursuing a STEM career in such a manual/factory/engineering environment.

I often feel that to work within some STEM environments, that are still extraordinarily male dominated that you have to be able to hold your own and be confident in your own ability and have ‘thick skin’ to be able to voice your point of view in meetings and general correspondence, particularly for younger women.

I have seen within the workplace, that a woman that addresses her colleagues in the same manner as any man would to be listened to will be labelled for being pushy/stuck up or uptight, but this would never be said about a man that wanted to be heard.

I think it is the smallest things such as this, everyday habits of people as a whole, that contribute the biggest hindrance to women in STEM, because this behaviour is an accepted social norm, but is anything but normal.

Were you actively encouraged by your formal education (school/college/6th form) to enter a STEM subject?

At GCSE level, there was no encouragement or support towards choosing which direction to take at college/further study.

Within college, the teaching of the Physics course was fairly poor and there was no focus towards careers or towards further study in any STEM subjects.

Alice, 21
The University of Leeds, Studying for a Masters in Medical Engineering.

Do you think women are underrepresented in your area of study?
As engineering as a whole definitely, however, I think the representation in medical engineering is a lot more even

Do you think there are/are you aware of any female role models within your field of study?
I have come across some female role models, however, I have mainly come across male

Have you experienced any gender bias (conscious or unconscious) within your field of study? 
I think as a female I have always felt very encouraged by my superiors to continue in this field, However, due to the vast majority of male peers I think this is sometimes less appealing

Have you ever experienced behaviour that has implied that women do not belong in the workplace or do not merit respect?
No not really

Were you actively encouraged by your formal education (school/college/6th form) to enter a STEM subject? 
yes very much so, going to an all-girls school this was a big push


Ella, 21
The University of Leeds, Studying for a Masters in Medical Engineering.

Do you think women are underrepresented in your area of study?
Yes definitely, not necessarily within medical (engineering), but in mechanical (engineering) you see it in the student cohort and also in the lecturers/researches/lab technicians

Do you think there are/are you aware of any female role models within your field of study?
Not in engineering no. In science in general, I have noticed more and more awareness placed on women who have made breakthroughs.

Have you experienced any gender bias (conscious or unconscious) within your field of study?
I think unconsciously, in terms of things like 'who's taking charge' or 'who will be doing the sawing and drilling vs whos writing the project up'

Have you ever experienced behaviour that has implied that women do not belong in the workplace or do not merit respect?
No, I haven't, although there have been times I have been uncomfortable to speak up in the workplace if I've been the only girl in a seminar etc

Were you actively encouraged by your formal education (school/college/6th form) to enter a STEM subject? 
I was encouraged to do STEM subjects, but I don't think it was because I was a girl but because I did STEM at A-level.


Natasha, 20
The University of Leeds, Studying for a Masters in Medical Engineering.

Do you think women are underrepresented in your area of study?
Yes

Do you think there are/are you aware of any female role models within your field of study?
There are quite a few experienced/extremely knowledgable women in the department, but none that I would personally consider ‘role models’. Can’t think of any outside of Leeds medical engineering either.
Have you experienced any gender bias (conscious or unconscious) within your field of study?
I have definitely felt in some groups work situations that the men would only direct questions/make eye contact with the other men, rather than the women.
Have you ever experienced behaviour that has implied that women do not belong in the workplace or do not merit respect?
Nope, nothing that extreme

Were you actively encouraged by your formal education (school/college/6th form) to enter a STEM subject?  Yes, I went to an all girls school so I think I missed out on the ‘it’s a boy subject’ stigma around STEM subjects, and it was very normal to want to pursue engineering.

Chaya, 22
The University of Leeds, Studying for a Masters in Medical Engineering.

Do you think women are underrepresented in your area of study? Yes, there are definitely less women in engineering then men, especially in electrical and mechanical disciplines. I think this is the case both throughout education and in industry.

Do you think there are/are you aware of any female role models within your field of study? There are plenty of female role models within engineering, but you have to look for them. I don’t feel like there any female engineers that are household names to people not already interested or working within engineering. This is partially due to a lack of women studying engineering historically. Have you experienced any gender bias (conscious or unconscious) within your field of study? Yes, I have been assumed to be the creative ‘arty’ person within group work where I was the only girl. On one occasion it was specifically stated I had to do the creative stuff because I was female. I have also been socially judge for not wanting to participate in ‘lads’ chat. Have you ever experienced behaviour that has implied that women do not belong in the workplace or do not merit respect? I have never experienced behaviour that suggests I don’t belong in the workplace. I have however felt women have to earn respect in the workplace in a way men don’t. You have to prove themselves before certain people with respect you. Were you actively encouraged by your formal education (school/college/6th form) to enter a STEM subject? Yes I was actively encouraged to enter a STEM subject by the school. I did go to an all girls school for high school and 6th form where more girls chose STEM subject than arts or humanities. I think socially this had a huge impact on my choices as I didn’t feel as if I was breaking any stereotypes choosing STEM subjects, especially physics and further maths. I’m not sure I’d have chosen the subjects I did at A-Level in a mixed 6th form.