ABOUT THE PROJECT

The idea of the Click ‘till U get it project, started with a discussion about the possible links between the gender gap in the tech field and the lack of diversity among STEM teachers using tech in early school education. The shaping of career identities doesn’t just start when it is time to choose an education path. It starts in early childhood and is highly dependent on the type of exposure they have to a diverse representation of role models in whom the children can mirror themselves. The partners held qualitative interviews with the project’s target groups. We wanted to find out more about:

• Who is/isn’t teaching STEM with tech and why?
  
• What could be the barriers/motivators to teaching with tech?
  
• How are the teachers, who are teaching with tech, using it, and how does this affect the learners?
  

THE SAGE ON THE STAGE

The “sage on the stage” mentality could hinder the integration of technology in school education; We had this understanding from our own work within the education sector, that some of our educator colleagues are hesitant to use technology in the classroom. A traditional idea about teachers is that they have all the knowledge of a subject when they go in to teach it. Therefore, when something new comes along, studying the individual tool in depth, with an instructor and learning goals, seems like the most secure route to gaining the desired level of competence. But technology is moving faster than the process for a teacher’s professional development, so it’s almost impossible to keep up. By the time the new competence is introduced into the schools, a new tool or program has popped up. This approach to tech and innovation in education can be harmful, if our goal is to promote the integration of technology in school education in a way that reflects the real world. It also ensures that teachers are constantly one or two steps behind what the children are met with outside of the classroom. .

The person who is “inviting to do the learning” affects the “who is doing the learning”; Not all teachers have this mindset. Some are more than willing to try it out and are actively experimenting with tech, perhaps because they feel more confident in navigating unknown areas, or they do it as a hobby in their spare time.

However, we often experience that these teachers often resemble the majority demographic in the STEM field. Meaning, they are typically men. Whether in primary, secondary, or adult learning, social relatedness is an important impact factor in learner engagement. And when the girls don’t see women in this role, this can affect their motivation for learning. This can essentially be avoided, if educators are aware of the norms they are exhibiting in their teaching. Therefore, in order to address the gender gap in the field of technology, and STEM in general, we have taken a look at “the who is teaching”, and “the who is receiving the learning”.

"The who is doing the teaching has an impact on the who is doing the learning"