STEM-ming the Tide: Coping with Stereotype Threat In Math & Science Learning Matt McGlone, Ph.D. Dept of Communication Studies The University of Texas at Austin Stef Paramoure, M.Ed. Canyon Middle School New Braunfels, TX Keith Mitchell, Ph.D. Texas Regional Collaboratives The University of Texas at Austin

Common Explanations for Ethnic Academic Achievement Gaps 1.Lower innate intelligence of ethnic minorities Herrnstein & Murray (1989): The Bell Curve Rushton (1984): more offspring / less nurturing  low intelligence DNA pioneer James Watson (2008): “Gloomy prospects for Africa” 2. Poverty  lower skills and preparation 3. Cultures that encourage anti-intellectualism, characterize academic success as “acting white”

Common Explanations for Sex-Based STEM Achievement Gaps 1.Biology Geary (1998): evolutionary pressures yield sexual dimorphism in reasoning and communication abilities Baron-Cohen (2001): prenatal testosterone levels shape male (systemizing) vs. female (empathizing) brains 2. Socialization McGillicuddy-De Lisi (1998): girls receive less encouragement to pursue STEM studies than boys 3. Nature-Nurture Interaction “…by nature implanted, for nurture to enlarge” (Merchant Taylor’s School Headmaster Richard Mulcaster, 1581)

Psychological discomfort people experience when they are concerned about a) being judged in terms of a negative social or personal stereotype or b) doing something that would inadvertently confirm the stereotype. Stereotype/Social IdentityThreat stereotype is salient apprehension, distraction intellectual disruption resemble stereotype

Stereotype Threat and Academic Achievement ST is a situational phenomenon that can account for a significant portion of ethnic and gender gaps in test performance and academic achievement. ST elicited by cues operating in the classroom and/or testing context.

Cues to Stereotype Threat: Test Framing Steele & Aronson (1995) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology Johns, Schmader, & Martens (2005) Psychological Science

Cues to Stereotype Threat: Identity Salience woman Latina daughter sister aunt Houstonian UT student biology major athlete girlfriend Situationally salient identity can boost or impair intellectual performance Ascribed Vs. Achieved Identities

Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test (MRT) produces largest documented gender gap in any cognitive ability (Halpern, 1992; De Lisi, 2001) a meta-analysis containing 286 data sets and 100,000 participants found a highly significant male advantage for mental rotation (d =.9); this pattern remains stable across age and has decreased little in recent years.

Identity Salience Influences Women’s Mental Rotation Performance McGlone & Aronson (2006). Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.

Over 200 published scientific studies of stereotype threat phenomena since 1995 Cues to stereotype threat: equating test performance with ability, not effort making stigmatized social identities salient in classroom context ST effects shown for: all education levels (K-12, college, grad school) all groups targeted by negative intellectual stereotypes (minorities AND majorities) girls, women in STEM learning contexts

Strategies for Reducing Stereotype Threat in STEM Learning

Reducing Stereotype Threat Solution 1: Provide Role Models Marx & Roman (2002) Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Reducing Stereotype Threat Solution 2: Threat Inoculation through Education Train our educators to be ‘wise mentors’ –discuss, challenge stereotypes among students –set high standards but assure students that they can meet them Emphasize skill over ability –highlight that learning is an incremental process –motivating metaphors: mind as muscle, metal

Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht (2003) Applied Developmental Psychology Reducing Stereotype Threat Solution 2: Threat Inoculation through Education

Reducing Stereotype Threat Solution 3: Help students reappraise the meaning of difficulty Difficulty indicates need for practice, not low ability Mental growth requires challenge: No pain, no gain! Anxiety stems from fear of confirming negative expectations  stereotype threat Make students aware of stereotype threat

Teaching about Stereotype Threat Inoculates Students Against Its Effects McGlone & Aronson (2007). Communication Education

Implications For our Work as Teachers Understand and teach students that intelligence, performance, motivation are fragile; learn to expect ups and downs Teach students that their abilities can expand Expose students to role models who, like them, experience difficulties but overcome Use cooperative group work; reduce competition Give feedback in ways that don’t undermine motivation; high standards and support to meet standards

STEREOTYPE THREAT: THE PODCAST Hosted by the Texas Regional Collaboratives and produced by Stef Paramoure of Science Alive One hour episode on the science of stereotype threat; follow-up conversations between Paramoure and McGlone about classroom solutions Learn how to subscribe to podcast at: Watch the podcast, share the message!