This weekend at the American Association of Physics Teachers conference I attended several talks but one in particular really resonated with my research and with my personal experiences. Dr Angela Johnson from St Mary's College in Maryland presented her research on the experience of African American women who study science at predominately white colleges and universities and the teaching methods that unintentionally alienate and discourage female students, particularly African Americans.
At that moment I was so thankful to her for being a voice for African American Women studying science. It is an issue that is often overlooked and perhaps not even acknowledged. I’ve found that far too often the issue of equity in STEM education is minimized as a perceived / imagined barrier or an excuse for women, especially African American women. Even at the AAPT conference this attitude was evident and the issue was often regarded as minimal. Her presentation reassured me that this is indeed a problem worth addressing not only in research but also in practice.
This presentation was so timely for me because this semester I am teaching a Physics course with 90% of the class consisting of female students. Her presentation reminded me to be aware of those unintentional practices that discourage and alienate female students. I was also encouraged that my research on women in engineering was not done in vain and there is some validity in my study despite the lack of interest or acceptance by many in science and engineering.
Related Reading: Racial Economy of Science - An interview with Evelynn Hammonds
