EFFECTS OF TWO AUDIOVISUAL PRESENTATIONS ON MOTIVATING NINTH GRADE GIRLS TO PURSUE SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL CAREER

The Problem. Currently available audiovisual presentations designed to encourage girls to pursue scientific, technical careers feature female role models discussing their careers. Research, however, reveals that factual information alone is not enough to encourage girls to pursue these careers; girls have concerns about combining these careers with family and home life. This study explored the possibility that audiovisual presentations including factual and lifestyles information about women employed in scientific, technical careers would be more effective in motivating ninth grade girls to pursue these careers than presentations containing factual information alone.;Research Method and Design. Two similar format slide presentations of five women employed in scientific, technical careers were created. The first gave only career information about the females; the second gave career and lifestyles information. Two hundred forty two upper-middle class ninth grade students were given a pretest including questions dealing with studying mathematics and careers. After viewing one of the two presentations, they took a posttest. The lifestyles presentation is available for professional use through the Career Awareness and Resource Education Office, National Bureau of Standards, Boulder, Colorado 80303.;Major Findings and Conclusions. After viewing the lifestyles presentation (versus the factual), girls felt more strongly that women employed in scientific, technical careers did not have a boring life outside of work, did maintain their femininity, and did choose a career that allowed for home life. Boys also were positively influenced by the lifestyles presentation. The factual presentation actually strengthened several occupational stereotypic viewpoints.;Boys could see themselves more easily being employed in scientific, technical careers than girls, even though girls and boys felt that these careers were suitable for both women and men. Girls did not list any scientific, technical careers in their top 10 career choices, whereas boys indicated 5 such careers. Finally, it should be noted that both girls and boys had similar viewpoints about studying mathematics.;In conclusion, audiovisual presentations containing factual and lifestyles information about female role models are more effective in encouraging girls to pursue scientific, technical careers than presentations with factual information alone.