In my opinion, for several young people (especially girls) there is a sort of stigma attached with science. Unfortunately, I think for many young girls "this" is passed down from parents, society, and lack of strong role models associated with science. The stigma being that science is for men, it's nerdy, you work in isolation, etc. I feel lucky that as a very young child I was exposed to science through my grandma, who was a high school biology teacher; I was continually encouraged to be curious and be informed of my surroundings. That aside, I did not have any female friends that were interested in science, nor did I have many female science teachers. Just from talking with some elementary teachers, I have heard comments such as "I hate teaching science..., etc." The same goes for math and art. There is a fear present, which may stem from their own education; the cycle continues.
First of all, I think that girls and young women need teachers (female and male) that are enthusiastic about teaching science, and clearly express the nature of science. Before discussing in this class, I had never heard about the collaborative nature of science or fully understood the essence of what science really is. Most girls are probably not going to enter my classroom intrigued and curious about science, so I think it is my job to be a strong role model for the subject and advocate the "truth" of science. Second, I think that I need to provide real world examples of science- not just concocted, unauthentic activities that show science working in a classroom. If young girls were able to see that science is all around them, and what they are learning is worthwhile, then they may show more interest in the subject.
