Volume 11, Number 1

Science Communication: A Panacea for Addressing Gender-Gap in Nigeria’s STEM Education

  Authors

Titilayo Remilekun Osuagwu, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

  Abstract

There is a major concern about the prevalence of the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in some developing countries. Thus, this study examined the existing communication interventions for disseminating information about STEM to women and girls in two universities in Nigeria. It leveraged Roger’s 1962 diffusion of innovations theory. The qualitative method was used, where fifty-six respondents from departments of computer science, engineering and mathematics, were examined to determine their extent of exposure to STEM-related information and their communication preferences for STEM-related messages. Results suggest that the majority of the respondents receive stem information through the mass media of which newspapers and magazinesranked highest. Accordingly, the majority of them would prefer personalized face-to-face communication and social media. The study recommended that change agents should be involved in the door–to–door campaign on STEM education.

  Keywords

Gender gap, Nigeria, panacea, science communication, STEM education