GAPP
GAPP (2007-2009) FP6 Science & Society Programme
Gender awareness participation process: differences in the choices of science careers
On the basis of recent studies, it is clear that gender differences still exist in science in the EU; it is well known, for example, that girls are statistically less interested than boys in certain branches of science and technology. The GAPP project will act by establishing an integrated process of qualitative research and developing new practices in science communication and education, to reach three well defined objectives:
- to understand the loss of interest from young people, particularly girls, in science and technology studies and careers by exploring differences in their perception of S&T professionals, while raising awareness among experts and stakeholders on this issue;
- to implement social dialogue between the research community, teachers, students, parents and other social actors in order to identify main issues and expectations from these groups;
- to develop and test a range of practical activities that go in the direction of overcoming gender differences and creating a connection between high school students and the professional worlds of science and technology.
These aims will be achieved through a range of research instruments, participative procedures to deepen discussion and provide the opportunity to develop creative solutions and “pilot activities” to test the proposed practical solutions.
Each phase will provide results that will be useful in themselves and also as a basis for the next step in activities. The overall process and outcomes will be assessed and published for the diffusion of findings and recommendations to take into account the gender dimension in science education and in career guidance. A final conference is foreseen in order to spread the results to policy makers and experts in Europe.
During the first phase of the project, the RBINS has organized focus groups with teachers, pupils and parents and interviewed scientists in order to understand better what influences the pupils in their choice of career on the one hand and on the other collect opinions and experiences on the kind of obstacle scientists could meet on their professional path. You will find the results of this study and of those performed within each partners’ country on the project webpage under the section “tools”.
For the second phase of the project, the RBINS has organized on November 13th 2007 an event similar to a forum, called an “Open Space Technology”, which aimed at collecting ideas of activities to be performed between schools and the scientific and technological areas.
On that occasion, scientists, teachers, parents and school pupils concerned by the theme “Which actions can be done to get more young people to scientific and technological careers, particularly girls?” were invited.
To find out more on the organization of the event, the ideas brought up by the participants and the activities forming the main outcomes of this meeting please download the report (PDF document, download here the plugin, 681KB, html version, opens in a new window).
If you want to know more about the forums that where organized by the other partners of the GAPP project please go to http://www.gendergapp.eu under section “Results” and “OST Reports” (website opens in a new window).
In 2008, RBINS has performed pilot activities disinhibiting the pupils towards science and notably researchers and their work through meetings in labs and in school classes.
Download RBINS report on these pilot activities: RBINS_Pilot_ActivitiesNationalReport.pdf (PDF-file, download here the plugin, 879KB), HTML version, both versions open in a new window.
For more information on the project and its outcomes please visit the website.
Project Coordinator and Partners:
- Fondazione IDIS – Città della Scienza IDIS Italy
- Innovations in the Communication of Science - International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA-ICS Italy)
- Warsaw University - Youth Research Center Poland
- Pavilhão do Conhecimento – Ciência Viva Portugal
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Belgium
- Experimentarium Denmark
- NEMO Science Centre The Netherlands