Unraveling the Situation of Women in STEM Areas from the European Teacher Perspective: Insights from FEMALES Project

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the views of teachers on the number and situation of women in STEM areas as well as ways to encourage female students to STEM areas. We carried out the study through basic qualitative research. The participants of the study included 39 teachers from Turkey, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Romania. For data collection, focus group interviews were carried out in each country. The collected data were analyzed through content analysis. The study yielded similar findings in almost all the countries showing that the number of women was not sufficient, and the participants mostly had negative views regarding the visibility of women, gender equality, and societal roles posed to women. We found that female students could be encouraged to STEM areas through the use of appropriate role models who carried some inborn and achieved traits.