Tagged: STEM

What are the challenges for First-Year Core Science Courses? - BioBlog

Alison Campbell • Feb 28, 2018 •

• biology,
• extension,
• fail rate,
• Family,
• feedback,
• GPA,
• guidance counsellors,
• laboratory,
• lecture,
• mature students,
• media outlets,
• program,
• Science and Society,
• semester,
• STEM,
• students,
• teaching,
• tertiary education,
• tutorial,
• university

Professor Karen Burke da Silva was the keynote speaker at Day 1 of the 2017 First-Year Science Educators’ Colloquium, held in Wellington. Her topic: Transforming large first year science classes: A comprehensive approach to student engagement. Currently at Flinders University, she’s been instrumental in setting up an ‘integrated teaching environment’ that’s seen a drop in withdrawals, and a marked … Read More

Marriage, kids, and the wage gap - The Dismal Science

Paul Walker • Mar 11, 2017 •

• academia,
• equality,
• Family,
• gender,
• gender equality,
• income,
• Science,
• STEM,
• wage gap

The career dynamics of the gender gap for graduates of the Chicago Business School, as studied by Bertrand, Goldin, and Katz (2010), illustrate a common pattern. While women and men start their careers with similar earnings, a substantial gap arises over time, and the arrival of children is a major concurrent factor in the rising earnings gap. At least in … Read More

Women aren’t failing at science — science is failing women - Guest Work

Guest Author • Mar 01, 2017 •

• gender,
• glass ceiling,
• international,
• publishing,
• STEM,
• UN,
• women

By Lorena Rivera León, United Nations University Female research scientists are more productive than their male colleagues, though they are widely perceived as being less so. Women are also rewarded less for their scientific achievements. That’s according to my team’s recent study for United Nations University – Merit on gender inequality in scientific research in Mexico, published as … Read More

Healthy Homes Project - Guest Work

InfectedNZ • Nov 22, 2016 •

• InfectedNZ,
• mould,
• schools,
• science communication,
• STEM,
• teaching

My name is Nick Pattison and I would like to share with you a citizen science investigation that I was involved in with my previous school Rongomai Primary, called the Healthy Homes Project. The project was created out of conversations between myself and other community members in Otara about the state of local housing in South Auckland, and was … Read More

Science Learning Hub – relaunched, refunded - Griffin's Gadgets

Peter Griffin • Oct 05, 2016 •

• science education,
• Science Learning Hub,
• STEM

Last night saw the relaunch at Te Papa of the Science Learning Hub, an educational resource that has amassed nearly 5,000 videos and articles about everything from nanotechnology to climate change – and showcased the work of hundreds of New Zealand scientists in the process. Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce unveiled the new-look Science Learning Hub website and said the … Read More

Reframing innovation in New Zealand Part 1 - Ice Doctor

Victoria Metcalf • Aug 08, 2016 •

• gender,
• gender differences,
• innovation,
• interdisciplinarity,
• leadership,
• Science,
• STEM,
• technology

The assignment from Te Punaha Matatini – to think about how we might reframe innovation in the New Zealand context and to use the available data from Figure.NZ to do so – has given me pause to consider some often overlooked and what I believe are pivotal components to creating a brighter future – diversity (in this piece, focussing … Read More

How to keep more women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) - Guest Work

Guest Author • Jul 13, 2016 •

• gender,
• gender disparity,
• SAGE,
• sexism,
• STEM,
• women,
• women in science

By Merryn McKinnon, Australian National University There have been myriad promises made by the major political parties over the years focused on funding programs aimed at increasing the number of women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Although some of the policies do target disciplines where women are underrepresented, there seems to be very little acknowledgement … Read More

Female/male pay gaps in STEM subjects - The Dismal Science

Paul Walker • May 21, 2016 •

• children,
• field of study,
• gender,
• pay gap,
• PhD,
• STEM

New research suggests that women earn, on average, around 31% less that men in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) subjects within a year of completing a PhD. An obvious question is why. Perhaps surprisingly the answer to this questions can be reduced to just two factors: 1) field of study and 2) kids. But after controlling for differences in … Read More

Powering potential in young Māori - Mātau Taiao

Laura Goodall • May 19, 2016 •

• academia,
• academy,
• achievement,
• ambition,
• children,
• culture,
• education,
• goals,
• kids,
• Learning,
• Mana Vautier,
• Maori,
• mātauranga māori,
• Naomi Manu,
• pasifika,
• pedagogy,
• potential,
• programme,
• Pūhoro,
• role model,
• school,
• space,
• STEM,
• students,
• teacher

Teachers have been shown to underestimate Māori children’s academic capabilities, which their achievements end up reflecting. But Pūhoro, a forward-thinking science academy, has now been set up to support Māori youth in reaching their true potential. Naomi Manu and Mana Vautier give us the lowdown. One thing that people really don’t like to talk about is prejudice. But we all have … Read More

Kids as curators of creativity - Ice Doctor

Victoria Metcalf • Apr 25, 2016 •

• children,
• collector,
• curator,
• natural history,
• Parenting,
• Science,
• STEM

Children have a wealth of information to teach us if we pause to observe their simple rituals as collectors and curators. They’d been playing happily on the wharf, my daughter and a new same-age friend she’d met just minutes before in the restaurant where we’d just eaten lunch. They’d cemented their bonding whilst peering down the hole around a wharf pile in the … Read More