OHIO UNIVERSITY Project aims to change stereotypes on the job

Women account for 20 percent of information technology workers; minorities account for less than 5 percent.
ATHENS, Ohio -- Though information technology workers are in high demand in today's job market, women and minorities seem to be steering clear of the field, a career decision Ohio University researchers suspect may be influenced by media messages people receive as early as middle school.
The researchers, funded by a $556,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, are examining this theory through a pilot study of more that 100 students at Mount Logan Middle School in Chillicothe, Ohio, before widening the project to 12 other schools across the nation next year.
Understanding the problem: Students will help the researchers collect data that may explain why women and minorities don't pursue the IT field. The project also will create a new curriculum to help teachers educate students about career choices and media messages.
The study is led by OU professors Phyllis Bernt, Joseph Bernt and Sandra Turner and is part of a larger National Science Foundation effort to examine the growing need for computer programmers, network administrators, software designers and other related technology specialists.
"The industry needs more workers, but society is also losing out because a very important infra-structure is being developed by a small, nonrepresentative group of people," Phyllis Bernt said.
According to recent studies, women account for only 20 percent of information technology workers; minorities account for less than 5 percent.
Negative messages: The researchers suspect these groups are opting out of such high-tech fields as early as middle school, and that messages they receive from television, books, the Internet, movies and even career materials could be a factor.
"Kids learn from an early age that if something is in print, it's true," Turner said. "And today, if it's on the Internet, it's true."
During the three-year study, the team will survey middle school media specialists and librarians nationwide to determine what type of media is available to students.
A key element of the study calls for pupils to interview each other about media habits and conduct their own media analysis.
"In doing a content analysis, they are also learning about stereotypes in the media and will be learning to read and view the media in a new way," Joseph Bernt said.
Real-world relevance: The three teachers at Mount Logan Middle School in Chillicothe involved in the initial phase of the study say the hands-on nature of the project will help students relate what they learn in the classroom to the real world.
"Part of my curriculum is teaching them real-life applications for what we're doing, so my students will be taking data, graphing it and making statements about what they find," said Nancy Arledge, a seventh-grade math teacher.
The researchers expect to present preliminary data to career counselors in June. Next fall, the team also will recruit 12 demographically diverse classrooms from around the country to participate in a full-scale version of the project.