by Elodie Pozzi, Department of Mathematics and Statistics
It is widely recognized that words wield significant power and influence: their role extends beyond mere communication and persuasion, as they can evoke emotions, convey authority, instill confidence, and either motivate or demotivate.
Certain usages of language can be as harmful as those with an explicit negative intent, even without any malevolent purpose. This impact can be particularly consequential in an educational setting. To illustrate it, let’s explore two examples.
Example 1. Many years ago, in an outreach program dedicated to the place of women choosing a STEM path, the following experiment has been described: in a classroom, three groups of students have been created and have been assigned the same exercise: group 1 consisted of ten women, group 2 of ten men and group 3 of five men and five women. The three groups of students have approximately the same level.
Whereas the nature of the exercise given to the three groups is the same, the formulation of the questions is different: for group 1, any word related to competition was used and nothing was specified about the difficulty of the question. On the contrary for group 2 and group 3, the task was presented as a challenge and the group was competing with another group. The result of the task is clear: group 1 and group 2 performed in a comparable way while in the mixed group, the results obtained by men students is a bit higher than for the women students.
The effectiveness and relevance of the methodology employed in this experiment can be discussed. However, beyond the message that competence is not related to gender, the environment in which students are placed is crucial.
Specific words possess the ability to influence the moral orientation of students, shaping their decision-making, in particular, on a category of students who lack of self-confidence. Let’s illustrate it with the second example:
Example 2. Considerable initiatives have been undertaken to promote the inclusion of women in STEM disciplines, aiming to augment their presence in the STEM workforce. These efforts encompass various studies examining factors contributing to the underrepresentation of women, as well as the emergence of numerous national organizations dedicated to fostering STEM interest among K-12 students, in college, and within academia. Anticipation grows for an upward trajectory in
the curve depicting the increasing number of women opting for STEM pathways in the world, tending to parity. So, it is even more problematic when this curve shows an unexpected decrease. This occurred recently in Europe, where the decision to pursue a STEM pathway is made as early as the conclusion of the first year of high school.
In 2020, the percentage of women high school students dropped sharply (-30%), falling back to levels last seen in 1990 and undoing decades of progress. While 2020 was notably affected by COVID-19, the decline in women student numbers has a different cause. The academic year 2019-2020 saw a restructuring in high school curriculums, particularly renaming scientific tracks from “concentration
in” to “expert in.” The term “concentration” indicates the study’s focal point, while “expert” conveys how students associate themselves with these STEM areas. It is acknowledged that women frequently face a confidence gap in STEM disciplines, causing them to hesitate in naturally identifying as “experts in.” This challenge is exacerbated, especially when they need to classify themselves as “experts in” abstract STEM fields. The substantial decline in the number of women opting for STEM pathways is not solely attributed to the renaming of scientific tracks but has amplified the adverse effects of the curriculum change; those are the conclusions of the analysis from the association for Women and Sciences.
Conclusion. Additional instances illustrate the direct or indirect influence of language on women’s decisions regarding STEM disciplines. These examples underscore the delicate nature of achieving balance in the representation of women in STEM fields, emphasizing the need for vigilance. Let us embrace the use of positive language to create an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered in pursuing STEM disciplines.
The Notebook 