A) My first source is Bias and Stereotypes Sideling Girls in STEM written by B.

Denise
Hawkins. Her central argument is that females tend to have a more challenging time in
STEM subjects than males. These challenges may be brought on by society pressures or
lack of strong female role models currently holding STEM jobs.
My second source is Breaking Gender Stereotypes Through Early Exposure to Robotics
written by Matthew Lynch. Lynch’s main argument is that it is detrimental to start
tearing down these stereotypes from an early age. He also argues that the toys we give
children from a young age greatly effect whether or not they will develop a later interest
in STEM subjects.
B) Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory comes to mind when thinking about the challenges
women currently face in STEM subjects. His theory talks in general talks about how kids
are products of their environment and cultures. Because the culture in the United States
is that men tend to have the highest paying STEM jobs, this model for females shows
that they aren’t supposed to have those high paying STEM jobs. His theory goes further
and talks about how guided participation is a way in which children develop very
quickly. They watch a more talented individual preform a task and then mirror that
same task. This can be applicable to the classroom because teachers are typically the
more talented individuals in these scenarios and if we only have males being the more
talented ones (i.e. the STEM teachers) then female students will be less motivated in
STEM courses.
C) Being a mathematics teacher and a female will already improve this gender inequity in
some form in my classroom. I hope that I can be a good role model and will work to
encourage females in my classroom to succeed in STEM subjects. Another strategy that
can be implements is talking more about important females that have had instrumental
discoveries in STEM subjects. This will give students multiple role models to look up to
and a sense of hope in succeeding in mathematics specifically.
D) I have noticed in my sixth-grade field experience class that the males are more likely to
speak out than the females. I could try and remedy this by making sure that I encourage
the females to talk more to create a more equal difference among who the students are
hearing from. In the current subject of science, we are talking about doesn’t necessarily
include any important discoveries. Another way that we could show powerful females in
STEM is through talking about the possible jobs that students could aim for if this
subject interest them and then show some powerful females, and males in this area,