How much would improved teaching affect girls interest in science?
We must always keep in mind the extent to which improved teaching and more suitable curricula can counteract the other influences in girls’ lives in middle school. Some influences are very powerful, because they are inextricably bound up with the girls’ back-grounds, including the schools they attend, the families they are a part of, and what they see and hear in the surrounding culture. Research indicates that girls resist science because it isn’t “feminine” and consistently underestimate their ability to achieve good grades in math and science. They also lack self-confidence, and they have few role models to encourage them to overcome their self-doubt.
