The Better Idea Book: A Resource Book on Gender, Culture, Science, and Schools.

Canadian Teachers' Federation, 110 Argyle Ave., Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1B4 Canada.

N

157

Teachers; Practitioners

Annotated Bibliographies; Canadian Studies; Culture; Educational Research; Females; Foreign Countries; Gender Issues; Higher Education; Mathematics; Public Schools; Sciences; Secondary Education; Technology; Womens Education

978-0-88989-262-0

"The Idea Book" was first published in 1988 by the Canadian Teachers Federation and examined females in the mathematics, science, and technology fields. "The Better Idea Book" is a re-publication that includes new studies and other resources that relate to the increased numbers of females in technological fields. The first section examines the increased importance of science and technology based on recent events and trends and discusses how schools have retooled to produce more highly skilled workers. "Gendered Science; Gendered Schools" examines whether biological makeup has anything to do with male and female representation in the field of science. The quality of girls' lives is covered in chapter 4, which summarizes three Canadian and one American study on adolescents. Chapter 5 probes testing and examines biases, jurisdictional comparisons, and biological data. In chapter 6. data from studies of the impact of the study of mathematics, science, and technology after secondary education are analyzed. Teachers are the focus of chapter 7, which looks at who is involved in mathematics, science, and technology programs. Conclusions show that improvement has been made in Canada in the participation rate of girls in mathematics, science, and technology but that further studies need to be done in order to assure that the success rate continues. A 71-item listing of end notes and a 72-page annotated bibliography conclude the text. (JAG)

1996

ED393741