Speakers
Wide debate surrounds the purpose, position and priority of the arts in STEM education. By drawing on examples from visual art, in culture, education and industry, this presentation invites you into this dialogue. Discussion is raised about the pedagogic contributions of art in STEM, the spaces which art can occupy in STEM learning and the level of rigor which art contributes to STEM education. Ambiguities around STEAM education are considered and the goals of STEAM education are questioned to open inter-sections of concern regarding the presence of art in STEM. Collaborative, community enhancing and connective projects, which utilise the arts as components of STEM and STEAM, are used to voice how arts’ presence in STEM and STEAM scholarship is a field of research gaining traction.
Pronounced gender disparities in career outcomes persist in certain domains, such as in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Along the pipeline, fewer women enroll in STEM programs, and even fewer women undertake professional roles in those fields. What causes these disparities? We investigate the possibility that these inequities have roots in development: Prevailing gender stereotypes may shape children’s aspirations, guiding them away from certain fields and toward others. In this research, we examined for the first time the association between children’s gender-brilliance stereotype and their career aspirations, and how such stereotypes may divert women away from many prestigious careers.