We want to put our members in the spotlight! For the Meet the WISE series, we interview WISE members in different stages of their career across the university. We hope that their stories, experiences and career paths can be an inspiration to other women at 果冻传媒.
Hello! Could you start by introducing yourself and the research that you're doing?
I am Duru Bayram. I've been working at 果冻传媒 for almost five years at the Eindhoven School of 果冻传媒 (ESoE), which is part of the APSE department. My research mainly focusses on socio-scientific issues - controversial issues that have a scientific basis, that also have societal, economic, or health implications, such as climate change, COVID-19 vaccines, and e-cigarettes. These issues are closely linked to citizenship skills, emphasizing informed decision-making, which is an important skill to develop for students. Additionally, I research the gender divide in STEM areas, exploring why the gender divide in STEM studies and STEM careers is still persistent.
My background is in physics, and I completed all my studies in Turkey. I earned my PhD in educational sciences, focusing on professional development of physics and science teachers, which combined both physics and educational sciences. After moving to The Netherlands, I worked at TU Delft on a European project, that focused on socio-scientific issues in science education. Later, I joined Radboud University as a researcher and lecturer. I also coordinated the Dudoc-b猫ta program, a national program supporting science teachers in pursuing a PhD alongside their science teaching duties. I鈥檝e been living all these years near Eindhoven. When I saw the job opening at 果冻传媒, it was a perfect opportunity for me to apply, because it's nearby to my home.
The experience I gained at TU Delft and Radboud University provided me with valuable insights into how science education is structured at different universities across the Netherlands. Through the Dudoc-b猫ta program, which included 14 PhD candidates from different universities around whole country, I was able to observe the diverse approaches and developments in science education throughout the country.
You worked at multiple universities in the Netherlands. How do you see the gender balance in those different Dutch universities?
In education departments, the dynamic is quite different from core science or engineering departments. You鈥檒l find colleagues with backgrounds in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, alongside those from educational sciences, psychology, and other social sciences. This creates more gender balance, and often, there are even more women in these departments. However, what鈥檚 notable is that despite this balance, leadership positions tend to be held by men. At TU Delft, Radboud University, and here at 果冻传媒, the directors of the departments have all been men. So, while men might not be the majority in the department, they often occupy the higher and more senior roles.
In one of your recent publications (Addressing the gender gap in STEM education across educational levels) you mentioned that, although women matched or even outperformed their fellow male students at academic level, there were less women entering the STEM job market. What causes this disparity?
In this report, we conducted a literature review and examined the European-funded projects. Our observations were, of course, limited to the resources that we reached, but we found that girls performed as well as, or sometimes even better than boys. However, girls exhibited lower self-efficacy compared to boys. We identified several contributing factors, such as cultural stereotypes in science fields, but self-efficacy emerged as the most impacting factor influencing the choice of STEM careers. Girls tend to be more reserved and less likely to speak up, even when they know the answer or have an idea. The next step should be to implement strategies to boost girls鈥� self-efficacy.
On which education level was the research done? University level or high school level?
Our research included both higher education and secondary school levels, but we primarily focused on the secondary school level. We haven鈥檛 done much work at the primary school level yet. I believe it鈥檚 crucial to educate and inform parents about these issues so they can support their children, especially girls, in building confidence from an early age. This early intervention can make a significant difference in their self-efficacy and interest in STEM fields.
You mentioned that many women do not continue in STEM after a STEM education. Where do they pursue their career afterwards then?
Women often choose other types of jobs due to work-life balance challenges. Cultural expectations play a significant role, as women often expected to fulfill roles as wives and mothers, alongside their professional responsibilities. I think this makes it easier for women to opt for careers in fields like education, which might be perceived as more manageable alongside family life. For example, academia is not really good for work-life balance. It is not a job where you can simply close the office door and be done for the day. This demanding nature can deter women from pursuing careers in science and other STEM fields. Addressing these cultural and structural barriers is crucial to encouraging more women to enter and thrive in STEM careers.
What would help to retain women in STEM?
There are several strategies highlighted in the literature. One of the most effective and most often used strategy is to use of role models. Having a role model in your field - someone you can look up to and trust - can be incredibly beneficial. Role models provide inspiration and hope for young people and future generations, showing them that success in their chosen field is attainable.
Speaking of role models, do you have a role model yourself?
Yes, my role model is Katherine Johnson, an African-American woman who was a mathematician at NASA. She was excellent at calculating space travel trajectories. Her story is truly inspiring. Have you watched the movie 鈥淗idden Figures鈥�? The movie was inspired by her life and highlights her contributions and the challenges she overcame. As an African-American woman at NASA, she had to fight against racist regulations during her time there. When I see people who have faced or are facing really difficult conditions but still achieve remarkable things, it gives me hope. We have much better conditions here and more equal opportunities to succeed.
There are also multiple funding schemes to encourage women to work in STEM fields in academia. How impactful do you think they are?
I think they are quite helpful because in academia, it's crucial to secure your own grants. You are expected to build your own research team, and for that, you need funding. For example, at 果冻传媒, we have the Irene Curie fellowship, and I am one of the fellows in this program. I received a starting grant, but it was not enough to appoint a PhD candidate. Fortunately, a colleague from our department also received a starting grant, so we combined our funds to appoint a PhD for one project. We solved it creatively, but it would have been better if the grant was sufficient to appoint a PhD candidate on my own. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a colleague to combine grants with at the same time. The field is highly competitive; you need to secure grants and have projects to continue your research. So, every effort in that direction is valuable.
What has been your experience with WISE network?
I found out about WISE network not immediately when I started here, but later on. It was probably after I had the Erasmus+ project titled 鈥�Empowering girls with knowledge and confidence in STEM to become future STEM leaders 鈥� FEMST鈥�. You interviewed one of my colleagues (Beril Korkmaz Erdural) who was the project manager, while I was the grant owner. After we started working in the gender divide and empowering girls in STEM areas, we started looking for resources in the Netherlands. That鈥檚 when we discovered the WISE network at 果冻传媒. It was a pleasant surprise and very beneficial for us to find this committee.
Is there a WISE activity that you particularly liked?
Yes, I attended the annual event in 2023. There were different speakers and there was one researcher from University of Groningen (Erika Darics). She gave a fascinating talk about the importance of communication in science and what a powerful tool it is. That was a quite interesting talk, I still remember. For me, it's very inspiring to hear the stories of other women colleagues - the challenges they faced, the opportunities they seized, and their achievements. It is wonderful that they can open up and share both their positive and negative experiences. You see: it鈥檚 alright, I'm not the only one having these difficulties.
Do you have any advice for a young researcher that would like to start a career?
Be communicative, find role models and, most importantly, discover what inspires you. I think this is crucial. Our report highlighted this as well. Share your difficulties or challenges with your colleagues. You don't need to reinvent the wheel 鈥� chances are, they have experienced similar situations and offer help or guide you to resources.
Link to the publication on the gender gap in STEM education: