STEM Hour: Overcoming the gender bias in early STEM education

In this one-hour STEM Hour, we are thrilled to have award-winning astrophysicist, author, and the Australian Government Women in STEM Ambassador Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith with us to explore the importance of early STEM education and overcoming the gender bias in STEM. 

Developing strong STEM identities is especially important for young girls. This is because girls’ participation in STEM education is negatively impacted by gender stereotypes and implicit biases by the time they are six years old. A shocking statistic.  

On the other hand, children who are engaged and included in rich STEM learning experiences from infancy develop strong STEM identities and cognitive abilities — such as critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity — as well as resilient thinking dispositions and learning mindsets. This is why there’s increasing recognition of early childhood as the critical window for STEM education, particularly for girls. 

Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith will share her research and insights into:  

• The gender bias in STEM. 
• How gender bias may present in the early childhood education setting. 
• Strategies for creating more inclusive and empowering STEM learning spaces for young girls. 

Purchasing a ticket allows you to tune in live or via a recording. The recording will be shared via email following the event and can be viewed for 3 days after the email is sent. This STEM Hour will be held on:  

Thursday 2 May 2024  

Time zones: 12-1pm (AEST), 10-11am (AWST), 11:30am-12:30pm (ACST) 

This is an essential workshop for all early childhood educators and teachers. It will inspire you to critically reflect on the implicit gender biases that may exist in your teaching practice as well as the implementation of STEM in your service or classroom.