When do African American girls interested in science start to get discouraged?
Who does the discouraging? A: African American girls start to get discouraged in science the minute they enter the science classroom (as early as elementary school). Many of these young women report that they feel unwelcome in the science classroom. My research shows a decline in interest in science among African American women between the 8th grade and the senior year of high school. Additionally, it suggests a reversal of race trends with young African American women being more likely than young white women to look forward to science class in the eighth grade, but less likely to express this interest by the time they enter their senior year of high school. It is extremely important that science teachers in middle and junior high schools present science curricula that stimulate the interest of all students in science. Many African American students who were high achievers in elementary school science classes begin to show signs of low self concept in science by the time they reach mid
