Over the past few decades, the wide gap in science performance between male and female students has been considerably reduced. However, these gender gaps persist. In recent assessments, males and females, at age 9, have quite similar math and science scores. At age 13 the gender gap is quite apparent and at age 17 the gap is even wider. Many factors undoubtedly contribute to the negative attitudes toward science and the lack of interest expressed by many female students. These factors include, but are not limited to, parental and societal attitudes, lack of adult role models, myths about female aptitudes, classroom patterns, stereotyping, and overt discrimination. Teachers can assist in reversing this situation by offering hands-on activities, and holding high expectations for all students. Some strategies include: structuring activities so girls play an active, rather than passive, role in lab and field experiments, and showcasing female role models (EDTALK, What We Know About Science Teaching and Learning by Nancy Kober).

This section has been designed to provide teachers with practical ideas and strategies for improving the achievement of female students in students in science. This guide is not comprehensive. Its purpose is to introduce the problem, provide some background information, and present some strategies, ideas, and checklists for providing and assessing equity in the science learning environment. Teachers, through their own creative ingenuity will be able to use many of these strategies, add some of their own, to create a positive and enriching environment for all students.

There are two major parts of this section, one contains a list of suggestions for making the science learning environment more equitable and without bias. The second part is a checklist that will assist one in examining the status of their school and thereafter, the progress made towards gender equity.

• Alternate questioning between males and females.


• Recall that assertive students are not necessarily more capable than less assertive students.


• Be alert to teasing. It discourages participation by female students.


• Encourage ALL students equally.


• Especially monitor achievement of female students on a regular basis.


• Generally, girls, unlike boys, avoid tasks labeled difficult and don't return to difficult tasks if they experience failure.


• Give girls early and continuing exposure to hands-on science and cooperative problem-solving.


• Have high science expectations for all students. Positive expectations tend to increase student achievement.


• Learn as much about female students as males.


• Especially, inform female students aware that most jobs in the future will require strong math, computer, and science skills.


• Make sure that instructional strategies are appropriate for all students.


• Monitor achievement, on a regular basis, including participation in classroom discussions, experiments, etc., of all students.


• Make task assignments at random or use a list of students' names and check them off after you ask a question.


• Offer help to any and all students when the material is difficult. Suggest after school help for everyone.


• Present science as a subject that everyone can learn.


• Recognize effort as well as accomplishment, especially for female students.


• Respond fully to the comments of all students.


• Teachers who emphasize the difficulty of science also create a negative learning climate for girls. While encouragement from both female and male teachers is a major factor in students persisting in science, it is especially important for girls to have access to encouragement from female role models.

• Allow students to select topics in some science study units. (This offers additional opportunities for students to relate their backgrounds and interests to science.)


• Assist in the acceptance of the differences that female students bring to the science classroom.


• Consider using upper grade level female students as tutors in computer-related activities and in science techniques.


• Devise science exercises and activities that foster success on the part of all students, especially females.


• Encourage activity-based and hands-on programs for all students.


• Encourage all students to apply science classroom learning to practical and everyday situations (Give examples).


• Focus on activities designed to integrate science skills into the everyday experiences of female students.


• Give both boys and girls equal feedback.


• Have activities which stress thought processes rather than exclusive reliance on single answer responses.


• Include female role models when presenting science achievements.


• Involve those female students who are not participating in science classroom discussions.


• Make an equal effort to check science classroom work for all students.


• Make science relevant and useful to all students, but especially to female students.


• Many students learn principles of science easier through discussion and exploration rather than by traditional lectures.


• Motivate your students to solve a problem for the fun of it or the satisfaction of getting a right answer.


• Notice and respond when girls raise their hands. Generally, disregard boys' greater tendency to verbally (and through body language) demand greater teacher attention. Devise a specific response selection protocol and consistently use it.


• Permit students to bring life experiences into the science learning environment. (All students, especially female students, tend to perform best when content is related to previous experience.)


• Present science as a subject that everyone can learn rather than as an elite and difficult subject.


• Teachers should examine their own behavior and assumptions on gender issues. Monitor your own use of sex-biased language.


• Teaching with gender equity implies everyone in the classroom and the teacher must critically examine their own behavior and assumptions to create a learning environment that supports and encourages learning for all students.


• The difficulty of questions should be the same for both female and male students.


• Try to schedule science courses so they do not conflict with electives that may be especially appealing to female students.


• Use "peer teaching" in co-ed or same-sex groups.


• Use real-life metaphors and examples in teaching that are pertinent to female students. (Female metaphors should be balanced with male ones.)


• Use the same nonverbal cue to address both boys and girls (e.g., head nodding and encouraging smiles).


• When using group activities, such as lab work, assign each student a specific role. Keep a record of these roles and rotate students through the different roles.


• Provide opportunities for students to learn about the requirements and descriptions of jobs that apply mathematical and scientific knowledge.


• Encourage group studying that provides students with good study habits and fosters good academic achievements.


• Assign each student with an experienced mentor in advices about career choices, individual research and possible solutions.

• Construct math/science word problems that are relevant to students. (A personal health problem is more realistic to many students than an epidemiological problem.)


• Cooperative learning groups equally divided by gender have been promoted as a good way to bring about positive attitudes toward instruction, mastery of content, and increased self-esteem. Single sex groups may work as well or better than mixed groups, especially for the less-assertive girls. It takes only one overly assertive boy to silence girls in a group if they do not have a girl who will be able to neutralize that boy's influence. Generally, coeducational settings must be made "safe" for girls to risk full participation. That is as true in small groups as in large ones.


• Having very clear rules of conduct for groups is very helpful.


• Follow-up on students expressing interest in enrolling in advanced science classes. (Some female students often do not follow through due to anxiety or discouragement.)


• Many female students learn principles of science easier through exploration and discussion rather than by traditional lecture.

• Encourage participation and make girls aware of out-of-school activities in science, such as a junior science academy, or summer science programs.


• Recommend subscriptions to science magazines.


• Take advantage of corporate programs which provide speakers to encourage the interest of female students in science and technical careers.


• Take field trips in the local community. This will allow students to observe applications of science and technical skills in living and work settings. Emphasize the science skills used by the females observed in the field trips.


• Set up science clubs that organize many science-related activities, projects and competitions to encourage positive and creative attitudes toward science.

• Bring into the classroom, female science role models.


• Distribute leadership roles equally among boys and girls.


• Encourage different approaches to problem solving. (Some research indicates that female students are more comfortable in structured situations.)


• Enforce equal interactions and expectations between the sexes, thereby providing the same opportunities for participation in all activities.


• Institute some science activities without grade assessment, which can help female students more easily overcome initial anxiety.


• Observe the group dynamics and praise positive cross gender interactions.

• Encourage and help administrators recruit more female science teachers.


• Establish in-service science training programs in equity.


• Urge faculty sponsors of computer, science, and (say) chess clubs to recruit female students.

• Display classroom posters on the contributions of both males and females in science and technical fields.


• Incorporate the historical and contemporary contributions of female and male scientists in science (e.g., biographical readings about women in science).


• Look for, create, and use test banks and sets of examples that are gender neutral or somewhat emphasize female interests.


• Make sure science instructional materials are appropriate with respect to gender prsentation.


• Make use of a broader range of professional organizations for career motivational materials and appropriate role models (see resources at the end of this page).


• Use computers for activities other than drill exercises for all students, especially female students.

• Especially help parents of female students to understand their role in encouraging their children's interest in science. (e.g., establish parent workshops on supporting and encouraging children's interests in science).


• Establish workshops for parents to support and to encourage their children's interest in science.


• Select or put together materials showing successful women in a science profession (e.g., Sally Ride, Marie Curie)---see resources below.


• Plan a parents' night on science careers. (This could perhaps emphasize females in science fields in which they traditionally have been underrepresented).

• Discuss career opportunities with female students.


• Encourage gifted females to fulfill their potential in science.


• Ensure that female students are portrayed in scientific and technical careers (e.g., posters in classroom).


• Furnish all students with updated information on careers in science.


• Give girls special encouragement to participate in science-related activities, and to create opportunities--both inside and outside of school.


• Prepare a list of examples that reflect the interests of experiences of both males and females.


• Invite both male and female science role models who are inspirational to present or demonstrate to the class.

• Lead a science classroom discussion on stereotyping and the consequences of stereotyping for science achievement.


• Talk with students about textbooks which create or perpetuate stereotypes based on sex and the biases that can result in influencing learning and career choice.

Last updated: April 25, 2005

Web Master Ed Keller