Masters Thesis

Girls participation in math and science : a program evaluation of Expanding Your Horizons

This project began as an evaluation of the Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) 2003 conference at Humboldt Sate University. EYH in Science and Mathematics are conferences created to promote and foster interest for girls in the areas of science and mathematics. The conferences are held with hopes that girls who attend will be encouraged to consider careers in these disciplines. Research indicates that our past experiences and achievements, social backgrounds, school climate, and interactions with others help to shape our interests and self-image. These findings are consistent with EYH conference goals: Girls need activities that connect to their personal world and knowledge of non-traditional female career options, in order to increase their interest and confidence in math and science fields. The positive responses on the evaluations conducted on the same day girls participated in the conference spawned a new interest in whether or not these one-day conferences had lasting effects on girls' decisions around math and science classes. Therefore, a longitudinal study was designed to try to answer this important question. The outcomes of the longitudinal project will impact girls in a rural, economically disadvantaged area with a high Native American population. The local AAUW branch will use longitudinal evaluation reports to determine how to best use its resources to encourage girls to pursue careers in the math and science. This project not only serves as a means for exploring girls' decisions about math and science courses and careers, but also provides a blue-print for future studies on this subject. This project began as an evaluation of the Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) 2003 conference at Humboldt Sate University. EYH in Science and Mathematics are conferences created to promote and foster interest for girls in the areas of science and mathematics. The conferences are held with hopes that girls who attend will be encouraged to consider careers in these disciplines. Research indicates that our past experiences and achievements, social backgrounds, school climate, and interactions with others help to shape our interests and self-image. These findings are consistent with EYH conference goals: Girls need activities that connect to their personal world and knowledge of non-traditional female career options, in order to increase their interest and confidence in math and science fields. The positive responses on the evaluations conducted on the same day girls participated in the conference spawned a new interest in whether or not these one-day conferences had lasting effects on girls' decisions around math and science classes. Therefore, a longitudinal study was designed to try to answer this important question. The outcomes of the longitudinal project will impact girls in a rural, economically disadvantaged area with a high Native American population. The local AAUW branch will use longitudinal evaluation reports to determine how to best use its resources to encourage girls to pursue careers in the math and science. This project not only serves as a means for exploring girls' decisions about math and science courses and careers, but also provides a blue-print for future studies on this subject.

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