Addressing Gender Barriers in STEM through Theatre of Social Engagement

通过社会参与剧院项目解决STEM中的性别障碍，通过教育高中学生，家长，教师和辅导员了解妇女和其他代表性不足的群体面临的参与障碍，满足了教育公众了解计算机和信息科学与工程（CISE）领域职业的需求。在这个向公众传播研究成果的项目中，使用了一个戏剧来传播PI的工作成果，该成果产生了一个关于性别和信息技术的理论，以解释和预测信息技术领域的性别（不足）代表性。该剧戏剧化了该理论的结构，特别是性别、种族和阶级影响身份、职业和生活决定的方式。作为研究的一部分，这部戏剧的故事情节来自生活史访谈，讲述了三位即将从高中毕业的年轻女性，她们正在为自己的未来和可能的IT职业做出决定。这部戏剧及其舞台读物和辅助网站正好位于“社会参与剧院”的领域和文学中，将科学界以外的人接触到关于中央统计局性别障碍的新的科学研究。该项目的学习目标包括：1。对可能的计算机和信息科学与工程职业的认识和知识;影响CISE女性职业选择的障碍和陈规定型观念;以及“重要他人”，如合作伙伴，家庭成员，导师和教师，他们可以在职业决策的关键转折点上发挥作用。2.对CISE领域的态度变化是开放给每个人，无论性别，民族，种族或阶级;如何一个人的个人特点可以用来抵制障碍，包括在CISE职业生涯。3.更多地了解CISE职业和教育机会的预期行为;以及回应与CISE相关的负面刻板印象。对拟议项目的评估将包括观察、阅读戏剧后的反馈会议（焦点小组）、在放映时进行的前后调查，以及在放映后一定时间内进行的第二次表演后调查。传播将通过为新泽西和宾夕法尼亚州的观众朗读该剧，与非正式学习场所合作，并通过一个相关网站，让游客下载和上演该剧。该剧和网站的广告将通过Facebook、Twitter等网站以及促进计算多样性的网站进行。此外，PI打算贡献戏剧作为一种非正式的学习方法和观众如何对戏剧本身作出反应的调查结果的学术文献。

The Addressing Gender Barriers in STEM through Theatre of Social Engagement project responds to the need to educate the public about the careers in computer and information science and engineering (CISE) fields by educating high school students, parents, teachers and counselors about the barriers to participation that confront women and other underrepresented groups. In this Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA) project, a dramatic play is used to communicate the findings from the PI's work which resulted in a theory about gender and IT to explain and predict gender (under)representation in IT fields. The play dramatizes constructs of the theory, particularly the ways in which gender, ethnicity, and class affect identity and career and life decisions. Drawing from life history interviews conducted as a part of the research, the storyline of the dramatic play centers on three young women who are graduating from high school and making decisions about their futures and possible careers in IT. Situated squarely in the realm and literature of "theatre of social engagement," this play, and its staged readings and ancillary website, extend access beyond the scientific community to new scientific research on gender barriers in CISE. Learning goals for the project include:1. Awareness and knowledge about possible computer and information science and engineering careers; barriers and stereotypes that affect CISE career choice among women; and "significant others" such as partners, family members, mentors and teachers who can make a difference at key inflection points in career decision making.2. Attitude change about the CISE fields being open to everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, race or class; how one's individual characteristics can be used to resist barriers to inclusion in CISE careers.3. Intended behavior about learning more about CISE careers and educational opportunities; and responding to negative stereotypes related to CISE. Evaluation of the proposed project will include observations, talk-back sessions (focus groups) after readings of the play, pre-post surveys administered at the showings, and a second post-performance survey to be administered a certain amount of time after the showing. Dissemination will be through readings of the play for audiences in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with partnering informal learning venues, and through an associated website which will allow visitors to download and stage the play themselves. Advertisement for the play and the website will take place through websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and websites that promote diversity in computing. In addition, the PI intends to contribute to the scholarly literature on theatre as an informal learning approach and on the findings of how audiences respond to the play itself.