ABSTRACT
Girls into Science and Technology (GIST) began in 1978-9, it is probably true to say that interest in the underachievement of girls was limited to feminists in education, then preparing the investigation which led to the discussion document Girls and Science, and one or two academic researchers. The format which emerged was three separate 'workshops' each lasting approximately two hours, and therefore a natural division into three elements of the work. First, the passing on of information about girls and science and technology, second, what we called 'destereotyping' - increasing consciousness of stereotyped expectations - and third, agreeing with the teachers the intervention strategies they would be prepared to implement immediately. The research on teacher-pupil interactions also showed that boys succeed in dominating the teacher's time and attention; not a great deal of work had been done on this issue in British schools, so we hoped for the opportunity to monitor the effects of the deliberate introduction of single-sex grouping.
