This experiment demonstrated that it is possible to use classroom intervention to change the attitudes of female college students towards theoretical and applied chemistry. A pilot study was used to test the experimental design, develop measuring instruments and obtain some preliminary information on the attitudes of college science students. The experiment was of the pretest, post-test, experimental, control group design with a total sample size of 204 students. The treatment experienced by the experimental group consisted of a modified curriculum that included information about topics found by the researcher to be of interest to women, information about how chemistry benefits human health and the environment, a laboratory manual containing profiles of prominent Canadian women chemists and visits by women chemical engineers. Regression analysis of the data showed a significant positive change in the attitudes of the female students in the experimental group (p $<$.05) and there was some indication that more of them were contemplating a career in the theoretical or applied physical sciences. The experiment indicated the importance of sensitizing college instructors to the needs of female students. A series of recommendations for college instructors and the Ministry of Education resulted from this work.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.28758 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Gillbert, Catherine. |
| Contributors | Gillett, Margaret (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Education.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001462142, proquestno: NN05711, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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