Final Report Summary - IRIS (IRIS - Interests & Recruitment in Science. Factors influencing recruitment, retention and gender equity in science, technology and mathematics higher education)
Objective:
IRIS addresses the challenge that few young people in general, and women in particular, choose to pursue an education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM. The objective of IRIS is to develop knowledge and recommendations informed by evidence on how young people, and women in particular, may come to see STEM as an educational choice that is right for them and to persist in their STEM education until graduation. Specifically, the project addresses the following questions:
1)What are the priorities, values and experiences on which young people base their educational choice?;
2) What are the success factors for interventions aimed at improving young people's participation in STEM higher education?; and
3) How do STEM students who opt out of a STEM study before graduation, explain their choice?
Theoretical frameworks: IRIS draws on different theoretical frameworks to address young people's educational choice processes and their relationship to STEM:
- an expectancy-value model of achievement-related choices (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002);
- sociological theories about youth in late modern societies, e.g. Ziehe and Stubenrauch (1993);
- young people's identity work and their construction of a narrative describing their choice, e.g. Smith and Sparkes (2008); Tinto's (1993) model describing students' decisions of whether or not to persist in their chosen education; and
- feminist perspectives (Haraway, 1991; Harding, 1986; Schiebinger, 1999) on women's participation in STEM.
Research methods:
The questionnaire IRIS Q was completed by almost 7000 STEM students in 5 European countries in 2010-2011. It comprised 65 items covering school science experiences, inspiration for choice of education, expectations for future job, students' first-year experiences, and attitudes to gender equity in STEM. The target population was first-year students within eight STEM disciplines defined through the ISCED classification. IRIS also encompasses a range of qualitative and quantitative modules, including:
- a combined questionnaire, focus group and interview study of the impact of school science curriculum on students' subject choices;
- a study of first-year female STEM students' written narratives of how they came to choose STEM; and
- an interview study of the narratives of first-year students as they negotiate whether to stay or leave STEM higher education programmes.
Main results:
Through literature review, data collection and analysis, reflection and discussion, IRIS has generated insights into young people's educational choice processes and their relationship to STEM. In the project publishable summary, results are listed under the following headings:
- Educational choice as an ongoing process
- Interest, self realisation and identity
- The impact of school, teachers and mentors
- Out-of-school influences
- Staying in STEM, leaving STEM?
- Females in STEM.
IRIS recommendations and potential impact:
IRIS aims to stimulate informed discussion concerning improved participation in STEM. Results from IRIS have been - and will be - discussed in different fora. A book based on the IRIS consortium collaboration will be on the market in 2013, and the project has a website (please see http://iris.fp-7.org/ online). Guidelines and recommendations aimed at stakeholders in the educational system, government, industry, and professional societies, are listed in the project publishable summary under the following headings:
- understanding educational choice and supporting STEM choice;
- develop school science curricula that support informed participation in post-compulsory STEM;
- support teachers in providing STEM instruction that creates and maintains interest for female and male students;
- develop varied recruitment initiatives with opportunities for personal meetings;
- support undergraduate STEM students to enhance retention; and
- address the views on STEM presented through media.
IRIS context:
The need for a greater and more diverse STEM workforce
A competent workforce within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines is essential in order to meet some of the great challenges the world faces in the first decades of the 21st century, for instance within renewable energy, communication, agricultural technology, medical treatments, transport etc. STEM is also identified as an important sector for economic growth and stability in individual countries and regions (European Union (EU), 2010). However, there is widespread concern that there will be a shortage of STEM-educated personnel in Europe and most Western countries, and in particular, there is a need for greater diversity, notably greater participation of women, in STEM (EU, 2004, 2008; OECD, 2008).
Improved participation in STEM is also a question of equity and empowerment. Access to STEM empowers individuals and provides opportunities for self development, career and democratic participation.
Improved participation in STEM entails a larger as well as a more diverse group of STEM students and professionals; it denotes a situation where society's needs for scientific and technological expertise are fulfilled and where each individual has a real opportunity to pursue a STEM education and career and participate in STEM-related decision-making.
IRIS aims:
Project IRIS, comprising six partner institutions in five European countries, was established in 2009 with support from the European Commission (EC)'s 'Science in society' programme. IRIS aims to contribute to understanding and improving participation and gender equity in STEM higher education through addressing the following questions:
1. What are the priorities, values and experiences on which young people base their educational choice?
2. What are the success factors for interventions aimed at improving young people's participation in STEM higher education?
3. How do STEM students who opt out of a STEM study before graduation, explain their choice?
Theoretical frameworks:
IRIS draws on different theoretical frameworks to address young people's educational choice processes and their relationship to STEM. A comprehensive framework is the expectancy-value model of achievement-related choices (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002). Another theoretical perspective informing the work in IRIS is sociological theories about youth in late modern societies, e.g. Ziehe and Stubenrauch (1993). IRIS also looks at young people's identity work and their construction of a narrative describing their choice, e.g. Smith and Sparkes (2008). Concerning students' decisions of whether or not to persist in their chosen STEM education, Tinto's (1993) model highlights the importance of social and academic integration. Finally, IRIS employs feminist perspectives (Haraway, 1991; Harding, 1986; Schiebinger, 1999) on women's participation in STEM.
Research methods:
The questionnaire IRIS Q was completed by almost 7000 STEM students in the 5 IRIS consortium countries in 2010 - 2011. It comprised 65 items covering school science experiences, sources of inspiration for choice of education, expectations for future job, first experiences as a STEM student, and attitudes to gender equity in STEM. The target population was first-year students within eight STEM disciplines defined through the ISCED classification. IRIS also encompasses a range of qualitative and quantitative modules. These include:
- a combined questionnaire, focus group and interview study of the impact of school science curriculum on students' subject choices;
- a study of first-year female STEM students' written narratives (life stories) of how they came to choose a STEM education, and an interview study of the narratives of first-year students as they negotiate whether to stay or leave STEM higher education programmes.
Analyses of students' choice narratives are prominent in several of the qualitative modules.
IRIS main results:
Choice as an ongoing process
Educational choice is not a purely rational decision taken at a particular point in time; it should be considered as a continuous process. Students' choice process continues after they have entered their chosen education when they try to balance their expectations with what they experience.
Interest, self-realisation and identity
IRIS Q respondents strongly emphasise intrinsic value - interest, self-realisation, and passion for the subject - when describing their educational choice, at undergraduate as well as PhD choice level. Late-modern young people seek tasks which are stimulating and enriching, and which are perceived to correspond with 'who they really are'.
Concerning priorities for future career, respondents again highlight intrinsic value. Females favour idealistic priorities (helping others, protecting the environment) more than males.
The impact of school, teachers and mentors
School-related factors impact greatly on young people's choices, for instance their experiences of school science as more or less interesting and relevant, and the extent to which they identify with what they experience as school science identities. 'Good teachers' were the persons rated highest as inspiring IRIS respondents' (particularly females') STEM choice. Females were also more inspired by lessons showing the relevance of the subjects for society. Teaching about socio-scientific issues within schools has generally had a positive effect on encouraging young people to choose post-compulsory STEM education. Mentors were important in Slovenian students? decision to enrol for a STEM PhD.
Out-of-school influences
Popular science and out-reach such as science centres, competitions and websites were mentioned as inspirational by IRIS respondents, especially by males.
A study of three STEM recruitment initiatives found that successful projects were characterised by being developed and improved over time, providing a variety of experiences that may enhance students' interest and enjoyment and their expectation of success in STEM, that display STEM utility value and employment opportunities, that reduce participants' perception of cost through creating mastery experiences in a safe learning environment, and that enable young people to see themselves in STEM. The latter is related to personal meetings between participants and STEM tertiary students and / or professionals.
Staying in STEM, leaving STEM?
Analysis of register data in Denmark showed that the risk of leaving a programme was most strongly influenced by students' grades and parents' educational background. Only one third of the students leaving a STEM programme changed to another STEM programme, whereas very few non-STEM leavers changed to STEM. IRIS-Q data suggested that subject interest and whether students felt that the programme suited their identity, were the most important factors correlated with inclination to leave.
Analysis of the first-year experiences of students (both 'leavers' and 'stayers') showed that all students experience a gap between their expectations and what they experience. The gap relates to the form and content of the study as well as to job prospects. To cope with this gap, students need to renegotiate their educational choice narrative to make sense of the experiences.
Females in STEM
In Italian students' IRIS Q responses, a perception of science as masculine was evident and appeared to impact on educational choices. The experiences of women in a strongly gender-biased STEM programme in Denmark indicated that women still have to distance themselves from a female connoted practice and identity to become recognised as legitimate members of the STEM student community. Despite some gender differences on the group level as shown above, IRIS research has also displayed more diverse narratives about females choosing science.
IRIS recommendations and potential impact:
IRIS aims to stimulate informed discussion concerning the participation of young people (notably women) in STEM. Results from IRIS have been - and will be - discussed in different fora. A book based on the IRIS consortium collaboration will be on the market in 2013, and the IRIS website (please see http://iris.fp-7.org/ online) informs about the project.
The following guidelines and recommendations are aimed at stakeholders who are in a position to influence young people's educational decisions, either in the educational system, government, industry or in professional societies. The guidelines are based on literature review and theoretical perspectives as well as results developed within IRIS.
Understanding educational choice and supporting STEM choice
1. Acknowledge that educational choice is an ongoing process over time.
2. Acknowledge the crucial role of identity in educational choice: In order to choose a STEM education, a student must be able to see herself / himself as a STEM person.
3. Make parents, teachers and other persons in touch with young people aware of the important role they can play in young people's identity work and educational choice process.
4. Present a range of different possibilities available in STEM careers to young people: a. promote a closer involvement with industry to show applications and provide examples of careers and b. show STEM careers that allow helping other people, contributing to society and protecting the environment.
5. Develop school science curricula that support informed participation in post-compulsory STEM.
6. Develop recruitment initiatives across the full age range within schools.
7. Provide a variety of school science experiences to match the differing interests of students within science.
8. Include teaching/learning about socio-scientific issues within school science curricula.
9. Support teachers in providing STEM instruction that creates and maintains interest for female and male students.
10. Make teachers aware of how they can motivate girls and boys with different interests, strengthen students' self-efficacy, and display the variety of applications and careers related to STEM.
11. Help teachers to develop teaching approaches and work forms where girls and boys with a variety of learning styles are motivated and feel secure to participate and develop their understanding. For instance, collaborative work forms may be particularly important for many girls.
12. Teaching staff familiar with gender equity issues and STEM stereotypes can contribute to encouraging students in general, and females in particular, towards (PhD) STEM studies and careers.
13. Develop varied recruitment initiatives with opportunities for personal meetings.
14. Develop recruitment initiatives that provide a variety of experiences: strengthening interest, building self efficacy, providing role models, and giving career examples.
15. Provide arenas for personal meetings between secondary students and tertiary STEM students.
16. Provide secondary students with information on the broad range of STEM professions available.
17. Present STEM role models, especially female scientists.
18. Allow recruitment initiatives to be developed and improved over time.
19. Support undergraduate STEM students to enhance retention.
20. Reducing the non-completion rate is particularly important for STEM programmes.
21. Do not expect that students just fit into their new study programme.
22. Address the sequence of courses within the study programme to secure first-year social and academic integration.
23. Improve possibilities for student-staff interaction.
24. First year is important, but retention initiatives should extend to second and third year.
25. Address the views on STEM presented through media.
26. Use the power of popular science and STEM-related fiction to provide examples of STEM identities and applications.
27. Counter the stereotypic images of scientists that are still prevalent.
List of websites: http://iris.fp-7.org/
Contact person:
Asociate professor Ellen K. Henriksen
Department of Physics, University of Oslo
P.O. Box 1048 Blindern
N-0316 Oslo
Norway
IRIS addresses the challenge that few young people in general, and women in particular, choose to pursue an education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM. The objective of IRIS is to develop knowledge and recommendations informed by evidence on how young people, and women in particular, may come to see STEM as an educational choice that is right for them and to persist in their STEM education until graduation. Specifically, the project addresses the following questions:
1)What are the priorities, values and experiences on which young people base their educational choice?;
2) What are the success factors for interventions aimed at improving young people's participation in STEM higher education?; and
3) How do STEM students who opt out of a STEM study before graduation, explain their choice?
Theoretical frameworks: IRIS draws on different theoretical frameworks to address young people's educational choice processes and their relationship to STEM:
- an expectancy-value model of achievement-related choices (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002);
- sociological theories about youth in late modern societies, e.g. Ziehe and Stubenrauch (1993);
- young people's identity work and their construction of a narrative describing their choice, e.g. Smith and Sparkes (2008); Tinto's (1993) model describing students' decisions of whether or not to persist in their chosen education; and
- feminist perspectives (Haraway, 1991; Harding, 1986; Schiebinger, 1999) on women's participation in STEM.
Research methods:
The questionnaire IRIS Q was completed by almost 7000 STEM students in 5 European countries in 2010-2011. It comprised 65 items covering school science experiences, inspiration for choice of education, expectations for future job, students' first-year experiences, and attitudes to gender equity in STEM. The target population was first-year students within eight STEM disciplines defined through the ISCED classification. IRIS also encompasses a range of qualitative and quantitative modules, including:
- a combined questionnaire, focus group and interview study of the impact of school science curriculum on students' subject choices;
- a study of first-year female STEM students' written narratives of how they came to choose STEM; and
- an interview study of the narratives of first-year students as they negotiate whether to stay or leave STEM higher education programmes.
Main results:
Through literature review, data collection and analysis, reflection and discussion, IRIS has generated insights into young people's educational choice processes and their relationship to STEM. In the project publishable summary, results are listed under the following headings:
- Educational choice as an ongoing process
- Interest, self realisation and identity
- The impact of school, teachers and mentors
- Out-of-school influences
- Staying in STEM, leaving STEM?
- Females in STEM.
IRIS recommendations and potential impact:
IRIS aims to stimulate informed discussion concerning improved participation in STEM. Results from IRIS have been - and will be - discussed in different fora. A book based on the IRIS consortium collaboration will be on the market in 2013, and the project has a website (please see http://iris.fp-7.org/ online). Guidelines and recommendations aimed at stakeholders in the educational system, government, industry, and professional societies, are listed in the project publishable summary under the following headings:
- understanding educational choice and supporting STEM choice;
- develop school science curricula that support informed participation in post-compulsory STEM;
- support teachers in providing STEM instruction that creates and maintains interest for female and male students;
- develop varied recruitment initiatives with opportunities for personal meetings;
- support undergraduate STEM students to enhance retention; and
- address the views on STEM presented through media.
IRIS context:
The need for a greater and more diverse STEM workforce
A competent workforce within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines is essential in order to meet some of the great challenges the world faces in the first decades of the 21st century, for instance within renewable energy, communication, agricultural technology, medical treatments, transport etc. STEM is also identified as an important sector for economic growth and stability in individual countries and regions (European Union (EU), 2010). However, there is widespread concern that there will be a shortage of STEM-educated personnel in Europe and most Western countries, and in particular, there is a need for greater diversity, notably greater participation of women, in STEM (EU, 2004, 2008; OECD, 2008).
Improved participation in STEM is also a question of equity and empowerment. Access to STEM empowers individuals and provides opportunities for self development, career and democratic participation.
Improved participation in STEM entails a larger as well as a more diverse group of STEM students and professionals; it denotes a situation where society's needs for scientific and technological expertise are fulfilled and where each individual has a real opportunity to pursue a STEM education and career and participate in STEM-related decision-making.
IRIS aims:
Project IRIS, comprising six partner institutions in five European countries, was established in 2009 with support from the European Commission (EC)'s 'Science in society' programme. IRIS aims to contribute to understanding and improving participation and gender equity in STEM higher education through addressing the following questions:
1. What are the priorities, values and experiences on which young people base their educational choice?
2. What are the success factors for interventions aimed at improving young people's participation in STEM higher education?
3. How do STEM students who opt out of a STEM study before graduation, explain their choice?
Theoretical frameworks:
IRIS draws on different theoretical frameworks to address young people's educational choice processes and their relationship to STEM. A comprehensive framework is the expectancy-value model of achievement-related choices (Eccles and Wigfield, 2002). Another theoretical perspective informing the work in IRIS is sociological theories about youth in late modern societies, e.g. Ziehe and Stubenrauch (1993). IRIS also looks at young people's identity work and their construction of a narrative describing their choice, e.g. Smith and Sparkes (2008). Concerning students' decisions of whether or not to persist in their chosen STEM education, Tinto's (1993) model highlights the importance of social and academic integration. Finally, IRIS employs feminist perspectives (Haraway, 1991; Harding, 1986; Schiebinger, 1999) on women's participation in STEM.
Research methods:
The questionnaire IRIS Q was completed by almost 7000 STEM students in the 5 IRIS consortium countries in 2010 - 2011. It comprised 65 items covering school science experiences, sources of inspiration for choice of education, expectations for future job, first experiences as a STEM student, and attitudes to gender equity in STEM. The target population was first-year students within eight STEM disciplines defined through the ISCED classification. IRIS also encompasses a range of qualitative and quantitative modules. These include:
- a combined questionnaire, focus group and interview study of the impact of school science curriculum on students' subject choices;
- a study of first-year female STEM students' written narratives (life stories) of how they came to choose a STEM education, and an interview study of the narratives of first-year students as they negotiate whether to stay or leave STEM higher education programmes.
Analyses of students' choice narratives are prominent in several of the qualitative modules.
IRIS main results:
Choice as an ongoing process
Educational choice is not a purely rational decision taken at a particular point in time; it should be considered as a continuous process. Students' choice process continues after they have entered their chosen education when they try to balance their expectations with what they experience.
Interest, self-realisation and identity
IRIS Q respondents strongly emphasise intrinsic value - interest, self-realisation, and passion for the subject - when describing their educational choice, at undergraduate as well as PhD choice level. Late-modern young people seek tasks which are stimulating and enriching, and which are perceived to correspond with 'who they really are'.
Concerning priorities for future career, respondents again highlight intrinsic value. Females favour idealistic priorities (helping others, protecting the environment) more than males.
The impact of school, teachers and mentors
School-related factors impact greatly on young people's choices, for instance their experiences of school science as more or less interesting and relevant, and the extent to which they identify with what they experience as school science identities. 'Good teachers' were the persons rated highest as inspiring IRIS respondents' (particularly females') STEM choice. Females were also more inspired by lessons showing the relevance of the subjects for society. Teaching about socio-scientific issues within schools has generally had a positive effect on encouraging young people to choose post-compulsory STEM education. Mentors were important in Slovenian students? decision to enrol for a STEM PhD.
Out-of-school influences
Popular science and out-reach such as science centres, competitions and websites were mentioned as inspirational by IRIS respondents, especially by males.
A study of three STEM recruitment initiatives found that successful projects were characterised by being developed and improved over time, providing a variety of experiences that may enhance students' interest and enjoyment and their expectation of success in STEM, that display STEM utility value and employment opportunities, that reduce participants' perception of cost through creating mastery experiences in a safe learning environment, and that enable young people to see themselves in STEM. The latter is related to personal meetings between participants and STEM tertiary students and / or professionals.
Staying in STEM, leaving STEM?
Analysis of register data in Denmark showed that the risk of leaving a programme was most strongly influenced by students' grades and parents' educational background. Only one third of the students leaving a STEM programme changed to another STEM programme, whereas very few non-STEM leavers changed to STEM. IRIS-Q data suggested that subject interest and whether students felt that the programme suited their identity, were the most important factors correlated with inclination to leave.
Analysis of the first-year experiences of students (both 'leavers' and 'stayers') showed that all students experience a gap between their expectations and what they experience. The gap relates to the form and content of the study as well as to job prospects. To cope with this gap, students need to renegotiate their educational choice narrative to make sense of the experiences.
Females in STEM
In Italian students' IRIS Q responses, a perception of science as masculine was evident and appeared to impact on educational choices. The experiences of women in a strongly gender-biased STEM programme in Denmark indicated that women still have to distance themselves from a female connoted practice and identity to become recognised as legitimate members of the STEM student community. Despite some gender differences on the group level as shown above, IRIS research has also displayed more diverse narratives about females choosing science.
IRIS recommendations and potential impact:
IRIS aims to stimulate informed discussion concerning the participation of young people (notably women) in STEM. Results from IRIS have been - and will be - discussed in different fora. A book based on the IRIS consortium collaboration will be on the market in 2013, and the IRIS website (please see http://iris.fp-7.org/ online) informs about the project.
The following guidelines and recommendations are aimed at stakeholders who are in a position to influence young people's educational decisions, either in the educational system, government, industry or in professional societies. The guidelines are based on literature review and theoretical perspectives as well as results developed within IRIS.
Understanding educational choice and supporting STEM choice
1. Acknowledge that educational choice is an ongoing process over time.
2. Acknowledge the crucial role of identity in educational choice: In order to choose a STEM education, a student must be able to see herself / himself as a STEM person.
3. Make parents, teachers and other persons in touch with young people aware of the important role they can play in young people's identity work and educational choice process.
4. Present a range of different possibilities available in STEM careers to young people: a. promote a closer involvement with industry to show applications and provide examples of careers and b. show STEM careers that allow helping other people, contributing to society and protecting the environment.
5. Develop school science curricula that support informed participation in post-compulsory STEM.
6. Develop recruitment initiatives across the full age range within schools.
7. Provide a variety of school science experiences to match the differing interests of students within science.
8. Include teaching/learning about socio-scientific issues within school science curricula.
9. Support teachers in providing STEM instruction that creates and maintains interest for female and male students.
10. Make teachers aware of how they can motivate girls and boys with different interests, strengthen students' self-efficacy, and display the variety of applications and careers related to STEM.
11. Help teachers to develop teaching approaches and work forms where girls and boys with a variety of learning styles are motivated and feel secure to participate and develop their understanding. For instance, collaborative work forms may be particularly important for many girls.
12. Teaching staff familiar with gender equity issues and STEM stereotypes can contribute to encouraging students in general, and females in particular, towards (PhD) STEM studies and careers.
13. Develop varied recruitment initiatives with opportunities for personal meetings.
14. Develop recruitment initiatives that provide a variety of experiences: strengthening interest, building self efficacy, providing role models, and giving career examples.
15. Provide arenas for personal meetings between secondary students and tertiary STEM students.
16. Provide secondary students with information on the broad range of STEM professions available.
17. Present STEM role models, especially female scientists.
18. Allow recruitment initiatives to be developed and improved over time.
19. Support undergraduate STEM students to enhance retention.
20. Reducing the non-completion rate is particularly important for STEM programmes.
21. Do not expect that students just fit into their new study programme.
22. Address the sequence of courses within the study programme to secure first-year social and academic integration.
23. Improve possibilities for student-staff interaction.
24. First year is important, but retention initiatives should extend to second and third year.
25. Address the views on STEM presented through media.
26. Use the power of popular science and STEM-related fiction to provide examples of STEM identities and applications.
27. Counter the stereotypic images of scientists that are still prevalent.
List of websites: http://iris.fp-7.org/
Contact person:
Asociate professor Ellen K. Henriksen
Department of Physics, University of Oslo
P.O. Box 1048 Blindern
N-0316 Oslo
Norway