Gender Disparity in STEM
Featuring guest writer
Corrie Locke-Hardy, from
The Tiny Activist
This post is written by Corrie Locke-Hardy, Co-Founder of The Tiny Activist. She was invited to guest spot on the Kidzsmart Communications blog to share her expert opinion on gender disparity in STEM.
STEM Education, a term initiated by the National Science Foundation, is an educational approach which focuses on one or more of the four disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and math. In an era when technical and scientific skills are increasingly important in the work force, exposing children to STEM learning in the early years is key. Currently, only 26% of STEM jobs are held by women (Bright Horizons Resources). It’s important to ensure that girls as well as boys are exposed to and encouraged in the area of STEM. It is also important to note that the binary language used within the post to cite research is due to the absence of data on non-binary scientists, and a lack of asking non-binary children about their STEM-field career interests.
In early childhood education we also see a dip in STEM interest as girls get older. When girls don’t see representation of themselves in the field that interests them, interest wanes despite the fact that “girls perform as well as boys in math. Nationally, math test scores for girls have been consistently equal to or within two points of boys in fourth and eighth grades” (Berwick, 2019). Right around the middle school mark is when we see the drop-off; material becomes more difficult and coupled with the lack of representation, this catalyzes the stereotype threat and widens the achievement gap. This inevitably leads to the small percentage of women in STEM fields that we see today. For example, computer scientists, where women represent around 24% of the total field (Girls Who Code).
So, what can we do? As a former classroom teacher who specialized in ABAR (anti-bias anti-racist) education in both undergrad and graduate school, I believe the answer lies within the materials used in the home and classroom, specifically picture books. Looking at the 2019 statistical breakdown of protagonists in children’s books, 41.8% of them were white (CCBC, 2020). With the publishing industry so unbalanced, it’s no wonder girls and children of color do not see themselves represented in literature (much less in STEM-related books). The purposeful seeking out of diverse and inclusive books is crucial in teaching and showing STEM professionals that are representative of the population.
In 2018 when I was a classroom teacher, I began a book review website to help share the best resources for fellow educators and parents. The Tiny Activist is now an LLC, and we provide curriculum supplementation and educational courses that focus on social justice education and diversity. I benefit from a massive amount of unearned white privilege and cannot sit idly by and observe the injustice in our local communities and larger global stage and by doing so, force marginalized people to do the work on their own. It is the responsibility of the caregiver and/or educator to understand the work that needs to be done and ensure that adequate representation in STEM is being shown and demonstrated in the classroom and outside of the classroom.
Corrie Locke-Hardy (she/they) is a former classroom teacher who is dedicated to examining and working against the Eurocentric heteropatriarchy of school systems and many of the most visible books for children.
She lives on unceded Massachusett/Nipmuc land. An alum of the University of Massachusetts Boston and Simmons University, Corrie's work is informed by her master's in Gender and Cultural Studies.
Corrie is the content creator and curriculum writer for a website she and her spouse Lee started in 2018 called The Tiny Activist, which reviews children's books and has an emphasis on social justice education and BIPOC narratives.
Corrie also co-hosts a podcast called Picture Bookstagang which takes a deep dive into the world of literacy, books, and publishing.
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