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TABLE IIG-7
CHANGE IN PERCEPTION OF PROBLEMS FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND MATH
FROM FALL TO SPRING
(Males)
Issue:
Discriminatory attitudes toward women on part of
teachers or others in scientific fields generally *
Discriminatory attitudes toward women on part of
teachers or others in scientific fields at Rowan
Women cannot be as competitive as science
classes require
% Decreased Perception
of Problems
% Increased Perception
of Problems
27.4 33.5
14.6 13.5
18.0 16.6
Long years of formal preparation needed * 24.5 12.5
View that women in science or technical fields are
unfeminine *
Lack of encouragement from teachers or
counselors a
21.1 23.4
32.4 8.7
Lack of encouragement from family or friends a 29.0 11.6
Lack of information about careers in scientific
field
Women's lack of confidence that they can handle
the work
28.8 12.5
30.4 14.0
Lack of female role models in scientific field 36.7 16.9
Possible conflicts between career and family
responsibilities
(n)
33.2 15.4
a The wording of these questions was changed slightly from Fall to Spring, which may account for some of the
difference in response.
In summary, exposure to women in the field and to the Rowan program seems to
sensitize the male students to some of the problems women face in science, engineering
or math, such as discrimination; however, it also seems to decrease their perception of the
women as different from themselves, hence they are less likely to perceive the women as
IIG-251