Rosario Mérida Serrano

University of Cordoba

Evaluation of the impact of INFACIENCIA I and II. A programme to promote girls' scientific vocations in Early Childhood Education

Participants: Julia Rodríguez Carrillo1; Mª de los Ángeles Olivares García1; Mª Elena González Alfaya1; Miguel Muñoz Moya1

1University of Cordoba

Symposium Summary

The under-representation of women in science is a fact that has been noted in several national and international studies and reports. The scientific community has used feminism as a tool of analysis to investigate the causes of this situation. Various research studies indicate that sexist stereotypes and the scarcity of female scientific references are the main reasons that keep girls away from the scientific field. It has been noted that girls from an early age - 6 years - perceive themselves as having a less intellectual talent for science than boys. Therefore, it is necessary to implement, from the Early Childhood Education stage, innovative coeducation experiences that help to overcome gender stereotypes and show the contributions of relevant female scientists. The objective of the programme INFACIENCIA. De las niñas de hoy a las científicas de mañana I y II, is to increase the knowledge about female scientists in children from 3 to 6 years old. To this purpose, the biography and contributions of relevant female scientists adapted to the capacities of the students of this stage are explored. The symposium investigates the impact that INFACIENCIA I y II has had on the groups involved (teachers and children from 3 to 6 years old, families of children, university professors and students of the Early Childhood Education Degree). There have been 951 participants and a mixed methodology has been used. The results reveal a generalised satisfaction and an increase in knowledge about female scientists in all groups. Therefore, it is considered convenient to include scientific contents with a gender perspective in the curriculum of the second cycle of Early Childhood Education.

Short CV

Rosario Mérida Serrano is Professor of Didactics and School Organization at the Department of Education, University of Cordoba. She is a teacher of Early Childhood Education, Doctor in Psycho-pedagogy, and head of the INCIDE Research Group (Childhood, Citizenship, Democracy and Education) SEJ-614. Her research lines are Early Childhood education, gender and childhood, teaching excellence in Early Childhood Education and convivencia. She teaches in the Early Childhood Education Degree, in the Master's Degree in Inclusive Education and in the Master's Degree in Secondary Education Teachers. She has directed several doctoral theses, final master's theses and final degree theses. She has coordinated local, regional and national research projects, including the one subsidised by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology INFACIENCIA. De las niñas de hoy a las científicas de mañana. She has coordinated the Red de Infantil Escuela-Centro de Formación del Profesorado-Universidad (RIECU), directing several transfer and teaching innovation projects. She is the author of multiple articles indexed in national and international databases. She is a reviewer of journals indexed in JCR such as Comunicar, Revista Complutense de Educación and Revista de Educación XX1. She has participated in numerous international forums for the scientific dissemination of research such as ICERI. International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, 2008 and 2010; Edulearn09. International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, 2009; INTED. International Technology, Education and Development Conference, 2010, 2011 and 2013; EDULEARN. International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, 2014 and ECER. European Conference on Educational Research, 2012 and 2014. She is the author of books and monographic issues published in quality publishers indexed at SPI such as Octaedro, Pirámide and Síntesis. She has assumed different management positions such as the General Directorate for Equality and Innovation, Director of the European Higher Education Area or Director of the Equality Unit. She is currently the Vice-Rector of Inclusive Policies and University Life at the University of Cordoba.

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