GSE/RES Assessing Media Influences: Effects of Media Literacy Training on Middle School-Aged Children's Perceptions of Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI

Investigators

Abstract

Western Michigan University is studying the effects of a media literacy training exposure on middle school students' perception of women in science, engineering, and technology (SET). Early adolescence in American society represents an ill-timed convergence of events for girls during a critical stage of identity formation: Girls begin to make plans for the future, including career plans, at a time marked by waning self-confidence and a heightened awareness of cultural norms of femininity. Media portrayals of women contribute to the socialization of girls and boys at this time by reinforcing cultural representations of gender that can lead to the formation of stereotypes about the role of women in society and can limit the perceptions of self in girls and stereotypes about gender roles in both boys and girls. The stereotypes contribute to the gender gaps in interest and participation in SET education and careers. The study examines the efficacy of a media literacy program designed to create critical thinking about stereotyped portrayals of women in the media. This study has three primary objectives: to assess the influence of training on 1) middle school-aged children's ability to recognize stereotyped media portrayals, 2) on their perceptions of women in SET, and 3) their attitudes toward SET and SET careers. The two-year study uses a randomized post-test only control group design. Participants will be 320, 13- to 14-year-old children from three middle schools in the Midwest. They will be randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: control, training that includes interactive discussion, and training and discussion plus instruction in critical viewing. The findings from this study will advance our understanding of the role of cultural representations of gender in contributing to the gender gap in SET. The intellectual merits of the research include: 1) the focus on the influence of the media in shaping children's perceptions of women in SET and their attitudes toward SET and SET careers and 2) the assessment of the efficacy of media literacy training in teaching children to recognize and resist gender stereotypes that can lead to inaccurate perceptions of women in SET. The broader impacts are the potential finding that children can be taught to resist gender stereotypes in the media and thus decrease stereotyping in their own thinking, and, that K-12 science teachers and directors of educational program can incorporate the findings in their training and instructional materials.