Women Misbehavin'

America is behind the rest of the world in science and math competency.

Not only is the U.S. ranked 21 of 27 countries for high school completion rates, but the U.S. ranks 21st of 30 countries in science competency and 25th of 30 countries in mathematical literacy. Even more startling, 24.4% of American students do not even reach the baseline competency for science performance and 28% do not reach the baseline for math.

Is it possible that America can catch up to the rest of the world in terms of math and science competency by encouraging more women to enter scientific careers?

In the U.S., women earn 56% of degrees in science fields at the baccalaureate level. The majority of these degrees are in biology, psychology, social sciences and health. Women are significantly underrepresented in engineering, computer sciences, math and physics. At the master’s level, these levels remain the same, but women make up a very small percentage of doctoral scientists and engineers, only 25% overall. Even in the biological, psychological, and social science fields, where women were ahead of men at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels, women represent less than 50% of doctoral scientists.

Girls seem to have the same capabilities as boys when it comes to similar grades in science and mathematics. Although girls score slightly lower on standardized tests, their grades are the same or even higher than boys’ grades. Why, then, are high school girls steering clear of careers in engineering and physical sciences?

One article discusses several possibilities of why women are not entering the sciences: historical notions that women are better suited for the home than for academia, lack of childcare options for working mothers, unwillingness to spend long hours in a research lab…  But women in the field disagree over which of these considerations, if any, are the cause of womens’ reluctance to pursue science careers.

If women have just as much intellectual capacity as men in math and science, why are women so outnumbered at the doctoral level – and why are women in scientific career fields significantly underpaid compared to their male counterparts?

What can we do as a society to improve our standing in the world and encourage women to enter these important career fields? Is it a matter of changing long-standing notions of a woman’s proper place in the world? Making pay more equitable? Offering better work/life balance?

Or is the trouble simply that girls are not receiving proper education at the K-12 level, so the girls with potential to enter scientific career fields are not identified at a young age?

Regardless of the answers to any of these questions, America has a serious issue to address: low competency levels displayed in math and science. Someone in the U.S. has to step up to the plate to get the next generation educated. Why not encourage women to meet the challenge?