Inclusive STEM classroom:  easy to implement suggestions for teachers

Why is it important?

Girls are proven to be as good as boys in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) worldwide (PISA, 2003) and also in the Netherlands (Hyde, 1990). However, a much lower percentage of girls versus boys choose for STEM profiles and studies in high-school and university. We would like to exchange knowledge and best practices to increase STEM engagement and participation in STEM classes, courses and programmes, paying special attention to empowering female students. Our goal is to give easy to implement suggestions on how to make any classroom more inclusive, stimulating teachers and educational leaders to re-design their courses/programmes. These recommendations were provided by students, following a review of the literature as well as implementation in various courses, including mathematics and science courses at University of Groningen. Our experience is based on a project where students served as co-researchers.

How can we do it?

• celebrate reality
• problem-based approach centered around real-world problems
• hands-on activities
• show relevance of STEM subjects to our lives and underline their social value

(Ceci & Williams , 2010)

(Burke, 2007)

(Clewell & Braddock, 2000)

(Blanchard et al. 2017)

• teachers positive feedback for girls is very important
• create supportive environment
• welcome students to ask questions

Paechter, M., Luttenberger, S., Ertl, B. (2020). Distributing Feedback Wisely to Empower Girls in STEM

Skipper, Y.  & Leman, P.J.  (2017). The role of feedback in young people’s academic choices

She, H. C. (2000). The interplay of a biology teacher's beliefs, teaching practices and gender-based student-teacher classroom interaction

• boys are more likely to raise their hands and participate in activities.
• explore other techniques to ask the students in order to increase the range or participation students (modern technologies providing anonymous answers, asking random students...

• girls prefer interaction and cooperative learning over competition
• groups with more than one female student
• some teachers advice to make groups for experiments and practicals consisting out of only girls (so they dare to try)
• assign roles for practical work(boys often dominate the groups, consider assigning roles of creation of single-sex groups)

Burke, R. J. (2007). Women and minorities in STEM: A primer. 

• more female lecturers, teaching assistants and guest lecturers
• providing opportunities to meet and interact with female researchers

Microsoft & KRC Research. How Role Models Are Changing the Face of STEM in Europe (Microsoft, 2018)

Hughes, R., Nzekwe, B., & Molyneaux, K. (2013). The Single Sex Debate for Girls in Science: 

A Comparison Between Two Informal Science Programs on Middle School Students' STEM Identity Formation.

• always point out sexist or otherwise offensive language towards other students