1. Girls in Science:
4331 Memorial Way NE
Seattle, WA 98195
Compiled by:
Danika Scevers
206.543.7907 Museology Graduate Program
Pre- and Post-Survey Analysis
Evaluation Summary Report
2. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 1
Executive Summary
This report details comparative findings from pre- and post-program questionnaires
administered to participants in the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture’s Girls in
Science program. Program leaders administered the first standardized questionnaire on
September 26, 2015, to 14 students immediately following the first program session, and the
second standardized questionnaire on June 4, 2016, to 8 students at the final program session.
The questionnaire was designed to assess program satisfaction, scientific literacy, career
aspirations related to STEM fields, and the impact of working with female scientists from
diverse fields on participants. This report presents findings as a matched sample – i.e. 6 of the
students from September did not participate in the final June session, so were here removed
from the data set to facilitate more meaningful comparisons between pre- and post- data.
Overall, student participants indicated:
Increases in perceived knowledge of diverse scientific topics
More nuanced thinking about science as a field
Increases in comfort participating in scientific activities, both solo and with others
Increases in comfort talking about science with others
Note: A blank questionnaire is included at the end of this document for reference.
Methodology
Program leaders administered questionnaires to participants at the end of the first and the final
sessions. Each questionnaire contained open-ended questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, and
Likert-type scales, totaling four pages. The pre- and post- program questionnaires were
identical bar one question; in the post-program questionnaire, a question was added asking
about changes to participants’ ideas of science careers. Questionnaires were filled out
individually by each participant, then returned to program leaders prior to the end of the
session.
3. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 2
Questionnaire topics included:
Scientific engagement and interest
Scientific awareness, knowledge, and understanding
Participant attitudes towards science
Scientific aptitude and skills
Participant perceptions of science and scientists
Participant attitudes towards the Girls in Science program
After questionnaires were returned, program leaders passed the completed forms on to an
independent evaluator. The evaluator imported responses into Microsoft® Excel and errors
were checked against the individual forms. Data analysis was completed using Excel.
Note: Due to the specificity of the questionnaire design to the Girls in Science program and the
low response rate, the results reported can only be considered the opinions of the survey
participants. They cannot be generalized to represent all participants in science programming
targeted towards middle-school populations as a whole.
Demographics
Completed post-program questionnaires were received from 8 participants and compared to
the pre-program questionnaires completed by the same participants. All participants were
female middle-school students from the Greater Seattle Area.
Grade Level #
6th
grade 3
7th
grade 4
8th
grade 1
Schools represented # of students
Einstein Middle School 1
Billings Middle School 1
Kellogg Middle School 1
Dimmitt Middle School 1
Washington Middle School 1
Catherine Blaine K-8 1
Kamiakin Middle School 1
Home School 1
4. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 3
3 Words Participants Associate with Science
Participants were asked to complete this sentence: “Science is: ____, ____, and ____.” In
September, participants generated 16 words; all but one participant listed “awesome,” “fun,”
and/or “interesting.” In July, participants generated 15 words. “Fun” and “interesting”
remained highly mentioned, and in fact moved earlier in the sentence for several participants;
however, the rest of the words demonstrated deeper and more nuanced thinking than the
generic words from the fall.
September Word Cloud:
6. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 5
How do participants describe the importance of girls in science?
In the pre-questionnaires, three ideas emerged. Three participants refer to science as a male-
dominated field where girls are not acknowledged or given a chance. One participant
mentioned learning more about science. Another participant brought up making a difference.
Three participants left the question blank.
In the post-questionnaire, similar themes emerged, although often with more focus on the
potential positive outcomes. Four participants referred to science as male-dominated and say
the presence of girls is empowering and important:
“we need to show the world girls can do anything guys can”
“for girls to be involved in science might be empowering to other people”
“we are half of the human population”
“it’s important that girls get to do it also”
Two participants cited the impact of girls in science on the broader world:
“we could change the world”
“everyone can make a difference”
One participant noted that involvement in science means “[girls] can see it as a career
choice.”
One participant referred to the appeal of science to all people, stating “it’s great.”
Of note: responses to the post-questionnaires tended to be more positive than earlier
responses, and all participants answered the question on the post-questionnaire compared to
several who left it blank in the fall.
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Attitudes Towards and Interest in Science in Everyday Life
In this and the following two sections, participants were asked to rank themselves on a scale
from 1 to 5, with 1 equaling “least like me” and 5 indicating “most like me.” In the pre-
questionnaires, at least 60% of participants ranked the first half of the questions – those
dealing with science learning, fun, and school – with a 4 or a 5, while the second half of the
questions – dealing with identity, home, and relationships – generally scored much lower.
The most notable increases during the post-questionnaires were in the following categories:
“I want to learn more about what scientist do.”
“I consider myself a scientist”
“My friends share my interest in science.”
Two questions demonstrated small decreases:
“I enjoy learning about science.”
“I think science is fun.”
Although these decreases moved some answers from a 4 to a 3, just as many participants
increased their answers from a 4 to a 5. Therefore, they do not contradict increases in
responses to other questions. Taken in total, these responses indicate increased ability of
participants to envision themselves as able and willing to “do” science.
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Perceived Knowledge in Diverse Areas of Science
Participants rated their own perceived knowledge in 8 different areas of science. All areas
showed growth in perceived knowledge during the post-questionnaire, with botany, ecology,
and neuroscience showing the largest increases.
1 2 3 4 5
Least
like me
Most
like me
Pre
Post
The Scientific
Process
Mathematics Climatology Neuroscience
Marine
Microbiology
BotanyPhysical
Chemistry
Ecology
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Top Interests by Scientific Field
Participants each listed the two scientific interests they were most interested in after
completing the program. Marine biology and oceanography were mentioned most often,
followed by astronomy and neuroscience. Knowledge of and interest in marine biology
remained relatively steady from the beginning of the program to its end; in neuroscience,
however, participants claiming strong knowledge of neuroscience grew from 25% to 62%. No
data was collected on astronomy.
Topic # of students
Marine
biology/Oceanography
3
Astronomy/Space 2
Neuroscience 2
Spectroscopy 1
Ecology 1
Climatology 1
Birds 1
DNA splicing 1
Chemistry 1
Illusions 1
Comfort with Science Concepts and Situations
This section consisted of 8 questions about scientific concepts and situations participants may
encounter day to day. In the pre-questionnaire, 50% of participants reported low comfort when
asked to conduct solo science experiments and approximately 40% of participants were
uncomfortable explaining science and developing their own experiments. However, responses
varied more in this section than in any close-ended section, with two questions showing
decreases, one question remaining the same, three questions increasing incrementally, and two
questions increasing a lot.
The most notable increases during the post-questionnaires were in the following categories:
“Developing an experiment to test my hypothesis.”
“Conducting science experiments by myself.”
“Talking about science with friends and family.”
10. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 9
Two questions demonstrated small decreases:
“Talking to scientists.”
“Asking scientific questions.”
Although these decreases moved some answers from a 4 to a 3, or 3 to 2, the decreases were
by 13% each, or the equivalent of one person. Overall, these responses indicate increased
participant comfort when engaging in day to day scientific activities, both alone and
with others.
Ideas of Science as a Career
Participants responded to a prompt asking how their ideas of science as a career changed over
the course of the year. Responses indicated increased passion for science, discovery of specific
fields of interest in which participants could imagine themselves working, and increased
general knowledge about science careers.
Changed ideas of science as a career?
“this year only made me have a stronger passion for
science and to be a scientist”
“I want to be an Aerospace Engineer”
“It opened me up to different kinds of science I hadn’t
thought about.”
“I found that I like marine biology”
“I want to splice avian DNA with human DNA to make
winged humans. I know that there are a lot of
complications but I have figured most of it out by now!”
“I know more about these careers and they are fun”
“not a lot it just expanded my understanding in since
[sic]”
[no response]
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Draw A Scientist Test
75% of participants drew images of scientists as women; one participant drew a
genderless figure sitting at a desk looking at a flower, and the final participant did not
complete this question.
Although 62% of participants did include stereotypical imagery such as lab coats,
beakers, and glasses, the drawings demonstrate more personalization than in
September. The scientists are drawn holding a cat, wearing every day clothes, and
sitting at school desks.
38% of participants included labels in their drawings identifying the scientist as
“everyday people,” “ready to try again,” or “I like drawing myself like this.” These labels
perhaps indicate participants understand alternative ideas about what science is and
who does (and can do) science
Potential Low Points from the Year
The following come from an open-ended question on the post-survey asking participants to
identify any points where they felt discouraged working with science, and asking them to
elaborate on those times and what they thought made them feel that way. Most responses
referred to science classes in school or nothing at all. No responses referred to the Girls in
Science program directly, and only one referred to lack of topical enjoyment.
Points where students felt discouraged?
“Science class. It is stuff that I allready [sic] know and
being trapped in a classroom with a very [sic] grumpy
teacher who hates us and we are all hungry for lunch”
“When I was little (science class was boring)”
“During the Friday Quizzes in science class when I
fail…pretty badly”
“Yes, I think it was because I either didn’t feel like doing
it or I wasn’t interested in what we were studying”
“N/A”
“No”
“No”
[no response]
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Although participants did not call attention to any challenges or frustrations they encountered
within the Girls in Science program, that may be a result of how the question was phrased
(“Have you ever had a time…”) rather than a true reflection of participants’ experiences. For
future Girls in Science program sessions, it may be more useful to consider limiting questions
regarding disappointments on the post-survey to that session’s time frame, in order to garner
feedback that can be applied to bettering the program.
Highlights from the Year
The following come from an open-ended question on the post-questionnaire asking, “What is
the one thing that you enjoyed doing the most in this program?”
What students most enjoyed during GIS?
“Disecting [sic] sheep brains”
“Oceanography”
“Meeting the scientists and learning about their jobs and
how much work it takes”
“Meeting new friends”
“chatting with members of my fandom”
“The projects with a group”
“everything I can’t chose one well I will, meeting the
other scincetists [sic]”
[no response]
Students listed a wide variety of responses. Most popular were interacting with other science-
minded peers (38%), specific topics (25%), and meeting with scientists (25%).
Conclusions and Recommendations – To What Extent Were
Expected Learning Outcomes Achieved?
At the beginning of the year the Girls in Science learning outcomes were reviewed and refined
by the project team. Outcomes were created using the National Science Foundation’s
“Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Informal Science Education Programs”1 as reference.
1
http://www.informalscience.org/documents/Eval_Framework.pdf
13. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 12
Impact Category GIS Expected Outcomes Evaluation Evidence & Recommendations
Engagement &
Interest
• Students will develop a curiosity
for at least two other STEM fields
• Students will do
research/experiments on their
own time (other than what we’ve
assigned for the program)
Students were able to identify memorable or
interesting moments from different areas of
each session throughout the year. The words
students used to describe science from pre- to
post- changed in ways that acknowledge
broader curiosity, including words such as
“expansive,” “exciting,” and “entertaining.”
When asked about scientific career aspirations
at least 60% of students responded with an
explicit field they would like to pursue and
25% indicated a passion to continue learning
about science.
Only 60% of students responded to the post-
questionnaire, however. In order to increase
participant engagement with evaluations and
to maximize the valuable information
collected, think about ways to quickly
perform point-of-contact assessments in an
organic, integrated way during program
sessions.
Awareness,
Knowledge, &
Understanding
• Students will have an
understanding of the basic
concepts and processes of the
STEM fields covered in the
program
• Students will become more
familiar with the process of
science and gain an
understanding of what “doing
science” involves
• Students will become more
aware of the variety of STEM
fields
Over the year students participated in a
variety of sessions focusing on different
science topics and practicing different
scientific skills. Participants indicated
perceived knowledge increases in all STEM
fields covered, with the largest increases in
Neuroscience, Botany, and Ecology.
Additionally, when asked their top two
favorite STEM fields covered in the program,
participants reported ten distinct fields, some
of which they may not have considered
“science” at the start, such as “illusions” and
“birds.”
Students also indicated increases in the desire
to seek out more knowledge both about what
scientist do, and about specific STEM fields, in
the future. If the resources are available,
consider adding a longer-term component
that tracks former program participants
through a set amount of future time, perhaps
the end of high school, in order to see if
interest in and engagement with science
continue to grow.
Attitude • Students will become confident
in doing and talking about
science
During the pre-survey, students recognized
there were more men in science than women
and expressed a desire to correct this. During
the post-survey, girls recognized that being a
14. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 13
• Students will view science as
achievable, fun, and creative
• Students will be able to
envision themselves as scientists
and be able to “do” science
• Students will be aware of the
gender imbalance in STEM and
see that they can be part of
correcting it
female scientist could empower and inspire
other girls to join STEM fields, saying girls in
science can “change the world” and enable
girls to “see it as a career choice”. It is unclear,
however, if early awareness of STEM gender
imbalances was a product of the program
sessions or if another factor may have
influenced these views, such as the name of
the program or the phrasing of the question
(“Why do you think girls should…” instead of
“Do you think it’s important girls
participate…”).
Most students mentioned one of their
highlights of the program was interacting with
like-minded peers, giving highly positive
responses to questions about working in
groups and interacting with peers, compared
to relatively negative responses to questions
about talking about science with friends
outside the program. This could be an
interesting avenue for the Girls in Science
team to explore, perhaps continuing to
expand group activities and peer discussions
to measure impact on student engagement in
the program.
Skills • Students will gain aptitude in
working with scientific processes
introduced to them during the
program
• Students will be able to ask
scientific questions
Students rated their confidence working with
scientific processes as a group and by
themselves higher after completing the
program, but indicated slight decreases in
confidence talking to scientists and asking
scientific questions. This is not inherently
negative – often it is true that as a person
learns, their awareness of what is left to learn
grows. Students participated in doing a variety
of science activities. Positive survey feedback
and the lack of student response indicating
points of frustration or feeling discouraged
with the program are good indicators that the
challenges presented to the students during
program sessions were manageable, effective,
and enjoyable.
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to Nick Visscher for his early work on this project, to Arryn Davis for her trust and
guidance, and to all of the students and scientists who participated in Girls in Science this year –
it wouldn’t be possible without you.
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Appendix I: Post-Questionnaire
Girls in Science Program
Pre-Program Survey (2015-2016)
Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Today’s Date: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
What school do you attend?: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Grade:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
Thank you for participating in the Girls in Science program. It is important for us to design an effective and
engaging program for you so we need to know a little bit about what you think about science. This is not a test, and
your answers will not affect your participation in this program in any way. There are no right or wrong answers.
Please answer the questions truthfully and to the best of your ability. We will ask you similar questions towards the
end of the program in order to measure any changes in your knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Although your name
is being recorded, we will not share this information with anyone outside the program.
Science & You
Give three (3) words that complete this sentence.
Science is: ____________________, __________________________, and ________________________
Why do you think it is important for girls to be involved in science? (write your response below)
On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is “Least like me” and 5 is “Most like me,” how would rate these
statements?
Least like
me 1 2 3 4
Most like
me 5
I enjoy learning about science. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
I think science is fun. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
I want to learn more about what scientists do. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
I look forward to my science classes in school. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
I enjoy going on science field trips – to a science center,
natural history museum, lab.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
I have science-related hobbies (e.g. star-gazing, bird-
watching, etc.).
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
I consider myself a scientist. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
I can see myself becoming a scientist. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
My family shares my interest in science. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
My friends share my interest in science. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
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How much do you know about the following topics?
I know nothing
about this
1 2 3 4
I know a lot
about this
5
The process of science or the scientific method – how
science is done.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Mathematics: the study of numbers and equations. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Climatology: the study of the climate and its relationship
with plants and organisms.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Neuroscience: the study of the brain and its relationship to
the nervous system.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Marine Microbiology: the study of the ocean and its
microorganisms.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Ecology: the study of the relationships between living
organisms and their interactions with their environment.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Physical Chemistry: the science of both the chemical and
physical properties of matter.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Botany: the scientific study of plant life including plant
structure, growth, reproduction, and biochemistry.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is “Not at all comfortable” and 5 is “Very comfortable,” how would you
rate your comfort in doing the following activities?
Not at all
comfortable
1 2 3 4
Very
comfortable
5
Talking about science with friends and
family.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Explaining science concepts to others. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Talking to scientists ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Asking scientific questions ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Developing a hypothesis based on what I
observe
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Developing an experiment to test my
hypothesis
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Conducting science experiments by myself. ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
Conducting science experiments with
others.
☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐
18. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 17
Draw what you think a scientist looks like:
19. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 18
Today, what TWO science topics do you think you are MOST interested in?
1.
2.
Have you ever had a time where you felt like you did NOT enjoy science? Why do you think
that was? (Describe that)
We’re there any points this year in Girls in Science where you felt discouraged? What were
they, and what made you feel that way?
What is the one thing that you enjoyed doing most in this program?
20. GIRLS IN SCIENCE: - JUNE 24, 2016 19
Appendix II: Pre-Survey Report, September 2015
