Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.GIST is an Action Research project aiming to improve girls' participation in scientific and technological studies at school when these become optional. The initial survey was conducted with 2065 first year children in ten co-educational comprehensive schools in Greater Manchester. Eight of these were action schools where interventions designed to change girls' attitudes and achievements were implemented; the other two were control schools. The initial survey was intended to assess children's attitudes to science and technical crafts, their backgrond knowledge in these subjects and their attitudes towards sex roles. The initial 11 year old cohort was followed up with a second survey in 1983, a survey of school records in 1985 and a postal questionnaire in 1987, when the cohort was 17 years of age.
Main Topics:
Variables Ten questionnaires were administered: 1) Background questionnaire - details of family situation, division of labour within the home, person orientation 2) School questionnaire - attitudes to school, perceived male and female competencies within school 3) Image of science - four scales: liking for science, science in the world, the scientist, science as masculine 4) Science curiosity - desire to learn about different aspects of science: physical, biological, theoretical, spectacular 5) Science activities - participation in hobbies and activities which might develop skills relevent to science and technology 6) Occupational stereotype - suitability of a range of occupations for girls, for boys and for self 7) Gender stereotype - suitability of a range of activities for girls, for boys and for self 8) Science Knowledge - cognitive test in science 9) Spatial Visualisation - spatial ability test 10) Mechanical Reasoning. Most children completed either the occupational or the gender stereotyping inventory (not both). In addition some sort of IQ score was available from Local Authority records for most children, and the parents of children in one school were studied by postal questionnaire and interview. The initial survey provided a benchmark against which the success of the interventions can be assessed. Further attitude tests were administered to the same children in Spring 1983 (see SN 2382), to show differential attitude changes in action and control schools. The results of the survey were fed back to teachers in the action schools, with practical suggestions based on the findings. Users should note that the documentation for this study is limited to a research report. It may not be possible to replicate the report tables using the current data files.
No sampling (total universe)
Face-to-face interview
Psychological measurements
Educational measurements
Self-completion, administered by school teachers during lesson time
