Title: Understanding Context to Influence Women with Disabilities to Consider STEM Careers via Targeted Radio Programs
1Understanding Context to Influence Women with
Disabilities to Consider STEM Careers via
Targeted Radio Programs
- Action Research Associates, Inc.
- Kris Juffer, Ph.D.
- Access to Advancement was developed by
- WAMC Northeast Public Radio under a grant from
the - National Science Foundations
- Division of Research on Disability Education
- (HRD-0833247).
2Access to Advancement (A2A)
- NSF-RDE - Division of Research in Disabilities
Education - WAMC Northeast Public Radio (NPR)
- Access to Advancement -
- 10 radio segments
- 5 embedded in The Best of Our Knowledge
- 5 in 51
- Action Research Associates, Inc.-Independent
Evaluator
3Access to AdvancementIssues Addressed
- Talented women with disabilities need to be
encouraged to enter the STEM field. - Historically, the media's treatment of disability
issues and individuals with disabilities has been
strongly criticized by the disability community
and others for its perpetuation of negative
stereotypes.
4Purpose-A2A Radio Programs
- Effectively reach
- Women with Disabilities (WWDs)
- Gatekeepers Parents, Educators, Counselors,
Scientists, Employers - General Public
- To disseminate key information
- To support talented WWDs considering pursuing and
entering STEM careers
5BroadcasterWAMC Northeast Public Radio
- 7 New England/Mid Atlantic states-21 freqs
- 58 yrs - Producer of public-radio style prgrmg
- 500 radio stations nationwide,
- on the Internet via audio on-demand
- 177 countries via Armed Forces Radio
- 6 NSF grants2001-2009 - 5-GSE, 1-RDE
- Awards - Gracie Awards-AWRT Foundation
6Original Context WAMC-Public Radio Broadcasting
- Highly skilled producers, writers, on-air
- Informative, relevant, creative
- Producing news/info stories
- General audience
- Previous 5 NSF grants - women in science
- Not targeted to WWDs specifically
- Broadcasting - 1-way communication
7Usual Broadcasting Context 1-Way Communication
- WAMC ? Programming ? WWDs
8NSF RDE GrantChanged Broadcasting Context
- NSF RDE Grant Funding Requirements Introduced
- Focus on WWDs in STEM
- A2A Advisory Committee
- Independent Evaluator
- NSF Federal Program Evaluator
- Media Audience Research
- WAMC added Disability Business Technical
Assistance Center (DBTAC) -Trainer/Consultant - Change Agents
9Change Agent 1 A2A Advisory Committee
- No Advisory Committee-previous NSF projects
- 10 MembersSTEM, Education, Disabilities
- M/F - with/without Disabilities
- Scientists, Professors, Minority/Disability
Advocates - Links-WWD community, programs, resources
10Change Agent 2Disability Business Training
Assistance Center (DBTAC)
- Disability Awareness Training/consultations
- Invaluable resource
- Helped eliminate stereotypes, inaccuracies
- Raised comfort level-navigating relationships
- Program - Balanced, accurate image of people with
disabilities to national audiences - Evaluator - gather program evaluation data
11Examples - Courtesies
- Visual
- Dont pet working dog/pet
- Identify self first when speaking
- When referring to graphic or physical object,
provide short oral description before talking
about it - Hearing
- Talk directly to individual, not assistant or
interpreter
12Change Agent 3 Program Evaluation Process
- Evaluator Proposed
- A2A Program Logic Model
- Focus on Outcomes of their program
- Formative Focus Groups
- Summative- A2As impact on WWDs
- Surveys
- Case studies Control and Treatment
13Participants Interactive Context
14Implications of Responding to Contextual Factors
- To achieve goal-
- Effective radio programming
- To change WWDs interest in STEM field
- We first had to change ourselves
15Context 1 Evaluation Design
- Worked within WAMCs media context
- NSFs education/program goals increase STEM
pool - Changed Evaluation Design
- Multi-Theory
- Communication Theory
- Social Change Model
- A2A Program Evaluation Logic Model focused on
Programs Outcomes
16Multiple TheoriesCommunication TheoryIterative
2-Way Communication
17Multiple TheoriesSocial Change Model
18Multiple TheoriesA2A Project Logic Model
Inputs ? Intervention ? Outputs ?
Outcomes/Impacts
19Context 2Broadcast Staff Context
- Audience research-historical concerns
- Focus groups
- Ultimately accepted/added to quality
- Provided direction to optimize
- Structure
- Content
- Sequence
- Built confidence
- Assured positive impact and outcomes
20Context 3WWDs ContextInfluenced Program
Content Design
- DBTAC Training
- FGs with WWDs
- FindingsVerbatim Evidence Recommendations
- A2A Broadcast Team very responsive
- Changed both programs
- Recs addressed in Annual Report
21Context and Changes
- FGs on stories revealed A2A was
- Attention-getting, informative, enjoyable,
inspiring - Encouraged WWDs interest in STEM careers
- Effective in interesting educators, counselors,
parents
22Context 4Psychological Needs
- WWDs Context Discouraged
- Needed to address psychological needs
- Only I can put limits on myself.
- I earned my degree and I deserve to be here.
- Build self-confidence
- Effective self-advocacy
- Provide powerful WWD role models
- Human interest stories
23Context 5Human interest
- Universal audience appeal WWDs interests
- Used a layered approach to build picture
24Context 5Human interest
- Person First Approach
- Introduced personal aspects first
- Personal interestsEx
- Sports/Activities
- Charity work
- Career
- Problem-solving
- Disability a side issue
25Context 5Human interest
- Id have to remind myself that she couldnt see!
She doesnt let anything stand in her way! - Not typical story format on TV/radio
26Context 6Informative Intros Ineffective
- Written vs. Audio formatsdifferent contexts!
- Written Script Intro re STEM program
- Audio Nothing recalled
- Audience recalled facts only after interviewee
began to talk for herself - Audience needed a mental picture of interviewee
to start building a framework to understand
programs and assistive devices, etc.
27Context 7Mentors
- Lay public-confused different types-mentors
- Lacked understanding of importance of
professional scientist mentor vs. other mentors - Advisory Committee experienced evaluator
understood importance - A2A Team reworked issue
- Made into an on-going program theme
- Much clearer
28Lessons Learned
- MANY interesting compelling stories about
- WWDs STEM achievement
- Opportunities in STEM
29Lessons Learned
- Emerging issue High school counselors appear to
be frequently redirecting WWDs away from STEM
careers - Emerging issue Interesting relationship between
gender vs. disability self-identities changes
with age
30Thank you!
- Kris Juffer, Ph.D.
- Action Research Associates, Inc.
- P.O. Box 494
- Ellicott City, MD 21041-0494
- 410-465-1299
- drkjuffer_at_actionresearchinc.com