Emilie Gertz PhD new student at DSE from January 1
Emilie Gertz has a background in mathematics and philosophy from AU. She has taught mathematics at STX and HTX as well as Philosophy and History of Mathematics and Philosophy of Computer Science at Center for Science Studies at AU.
Her PhD project is about young women in STX and how their engagement, interests and competences in science and mathematics interact with aspirations and choices. It is positioned into the growing awareness of making science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) a viable pathway for all young people independent of their social background, ethnicity, and gender. With a particular focus on the fact that the rate of women in Denmark, that continues into STEM is increasing too slow.
To help understand the background for women’s higher educational choices, the project will follow 30 young women during their upper secondary education. The young women are situated in three different STX schools in Jylland and in three different study programs. Through survey and interviews (placed in each school year) the project will explore the young women’s identities regarding their negotiations and experiences of science and mathematics and how this interact with their choice-considerations of what to study after upper secondary school.
In addition, three focus group-interviews will be conducted with a group of teachers consisting of both science and math teachers at each school. Here the aim is to explore what kind of student behavior is recognized as ‘ideal student’ and acquire teacher reflections on why some of the students aspire a STEM choice and why others don’t.
The objective is to contribute with insights of how barriers, engagement and choices evolve during the upper secondary education.
Emilie will join the research group Science Identity, Culture and Space.