Research Methodology

 

Participants in the study were 319, 7th grade students from three schools in Michigan. Information from 302 students was included in the final analysis. To examine the efficacy of a media literacy program designed to teach critical thinking about stereotyped portrayals of women, including women scientists and engineers, we used a full experiment for this study in which students were randomly placed in one of three groups that included two different media literacy training conditions and a control condition (See Table 1).

 

 

Table 1. Groups by Conditions

Group	Discussion only*	Video and Discussion*	Educational Science Video (Control)
Group 1	X
Group 2		X
Group 3			X

* Media literacy conditions

 

 

We created a three-class session curriculum that addressed stereotypes and counter-stereotypes about women, working women, and women in science, engineering, and technology careers in the media. The media literacy training was facilitated by one of the co-investigators on the project and included three 40 minute classes as described below:

 

• Class 1: Media images of women
  • Video 1: Friends, Will and Grace, 7th Heaven, Dawson’s Creek
• Class 2: Media images of working women
  • Video 2: Happy Gilmore, 7th Heaven, Friends, ER
• Class 3: Media images of women in SET careers
  • Video 3: Junior, Love Potion No. 9, Jurassic Park, Contact

 

In addition, we developed three videos that corresponded to each class session to facilitate the media literacy training for the video and discussion group. The video clips were selected as described below:

 

• We viewed over 140 video clips of television programs and films popular among children ages 12 to 17 (Nielsen Media Research, 2004; Bernt, Bernt, & Turner, 2003; Signorielli, 1997). Because of a scarcity of women in SET careers in the programs found in the research cited above, popular films were used to select images for the video for Class 3 based on prior research on images of women scientists in films (Steinke, 2005)
• We selected 30 video clips featuring specific stereotypes and counter-stereotypes of women (Steinke, 1999, 2004; Steinke & Long, 1996).
• We made a final selection of 12 video clips based on reviews by two middle school teachers and university physics professor.

 

The final selection of video clips came from the television programs and films listed below:

 

• Video for Class 1: Media images of women
  • Friends, Will and Grace, 7th Heaven, Dawson’s Creek
• Video for Class 2: Media images of working women
  • Happy Gilmore, 7th Heaven, Friends, ER
• Video for Class 3: Media images of women in SET careers
  • Junior, Love Potion No. 9, Jurassic Park, Contact

 

Participants in the control group watched three science educational videos that did not show male or female scientists. Students completed a questionnaire immediately after the intervention and then again at least two weeks after the intervention to test for any delayed effects. The questionnaire included items for the following measures: recognition of gender stereotypes, attitude toward women in SET, attitude toward SET and careers in SET, demographic variables, the DAST (Draw-A-Scientist Test) and measures of additional variables to assess the effectiveness of the condition.