So you want to be in the professions

1. So you want to be in the professions A look at widening access and gender perceptions Tracey Kerr and Amy McDermott

2. An introduction to the project • Dual aim • remove barriers to traditionally ‘gendered’ professions • support students from widening participation backgrounds to access higher education • WP definition • to include; first in family, low income households, MD40 and MD20 groupings, care experienced pupils and young care providers • Chosen subjects • identified based upon a range of data sources • Learning for All (2015) report • School Leaver Destination Returns (SLDR) 2013/14 • matched against the expertise and relevant discipline mix at Stirling.

3. Chosen subjects Accounting Computing Science Education (Primary and Secondary) Law Mathematics Nursing Social Work Sport

4. A quick tour of the outreach Tracey Kerr Widening Participation and Scottish Recruitment Manager

5. What did outreach look like • On campus event in target subject areas • To be discussed • Student mentoring programme • Facebook groups • Current student mentors • Alumni mentors • Marketing / online materials • In development

6. On campus event – February 2016 • Schools involved: - • Braes High School • Bo’ness High School • Denny High School • Falkirk High School • Lornshill Academy • Wallace High School

7. Subject Split – choose one of each ‘Male’ subjects ‘Female’ subjects Education Law (wp) Nursing Social Work • Accounting (wp) • Computing • Maths • Sport

8. Questions - am • Asked to assess the success of the day • What do you want to do for a job? • Did anyone help you make this decision? • Who helped you the most? • I think that … is a job for • Most people think that … is a job for • Which out of the 8 subjects did you want to go to the most? • Why did you want to attend these subjects?

9. Questions - pm • Asked to assess the success of the day • What do you want to do for a job? • Will you now research the route you want to take to get the job you want? • I think that … is a job for • Most people think that … is a job for • What subjects did you attend – am / pm? • What did you like / dislike about the workshop?

10. What we found out Most enjoyed the day Helped some rethink / solidify their career choices They have begun to think about university seriously They are aware of society's opinions on gendered roles

11. I think … is a job for

12. Most people think … is a job for

13. Did anyone help you make this decision?

14. A brief introduction to the research Amy McDermott Researcher / Policy and Planning Officer

15. ‘What impact can Universities have in challenging gendered assumptions and social norms regarding professional subject choice and applications to University, in particular from widening participation capacity?’ Views on gender and subject imbalances Visibility of educational and career pathways Influencers and role models • Interviews of 4th Year high school pupils; gaining data on their perceptions of subjects areas, influencers and university engagement activities • Interviews with University applicants; assessing why they chose the course and seeking who they believed influenced this decision, their views on barriers to education • Qualitative focus group with teachers in target schools; investigating what, in their opinions on gender imbalances, can HEIs and others do better and/or more in terms of support

16. Views on gender and subject imbalances “I’m open-minded, I think ‘yeah a boy can do that’ and there are girls that think ‘well if a boy can do it I can do it as well’” (Participant 2). “Because for a subject you're kinda just studying for it and you don't actually have to do it, whereas like when you're going out to do a job you have to have the qualities and the skills” (Participant 7) “No because like you can be whatever you want to do, you don’t need be described by your gender.” (Participant 8)

17. Visibility of educational and career pathways “Children often pick careers on people that they have in their family and I think that’s a big influence, they don’t know other careers.” (Focus group participant). “Well, most girls you see when people mention design and manufacture and woodwork or anything they’re always like no, no, and then when you see boys and they are looking at maybe business or something you get, like, the stereotypes” (Participant 9) “I don’t think many of us really know what university, like what happens at university, we just kinda hear about it from our parents and we don’t really get like in depth things about it so I think people would just take like other options like college because theres like workshops and stuff for college and they tell you exactly what it entails and stuff like that so they just feel like they’re more informed about it.” (Participant 7).

18. Influencers and role models “Well my family have always supported me in whatever decision I wanted to make so they, I wouldn’t say they influenced me but they guided me… like they said “you’re good at computing and you’re good at music so if you enjoy them you should take them””. (Participant 6) “My history teacher when I was in Fourth Year, she was like really enthusiastic about the subject and she got me like really enthusiastic and loved it too and I carried on throughout school” (Applicant participant 4) “I think there is a lot of influence from peer groups” (Focus group participant)

19. Come to workshop 4A Influencers and Role Models: young people’s understandings of gender imbalances in subject areas

20. Question time! How do we recruit and engage positive role models in mentoring roles? How can we engage more with parents? How can we provide relevant information to subject teachers? Should colleges and universities insist all outreach work is gender biased (eg 50/50 attendance?) – if yes, how do we make that happen? List 3 things that schools, colleges and universities could do simply and easily now to improve engagement

21. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME