Overview

Aim of the project MOTIVATION is an exchange between partner countries in Europe about factors, which influence the image of science and technology under gender perspectives to attract young people. Adolescents often have obsolete and unattractive SET job images in their minds and combine these with outdated clichés. Socialisation agents like peer groups, teachers, study and job advisors as well as media influence this image of SET and the attitudes of young people towards SET differently. MOTIVATION tries to improve the situation through interchange of facts about influence of socialisation agents, and to develop measures for changing attitudes towards SET in young people and socialisation agents with media. The project will culminate in a final international conference where the exchange process will be widened to a broader group of international experts in the field.

MOTIVATION comprises four content work packages (wp). The project work of each work package will be based on communication and exchanging ideas with the other, with the aim to build strong contextual synergies among all. For all four WPs project consortium members will bring in their theoretical and practical expertise on the topic:

Exchange about existing research is the first objective, evaluation of content, methods and didactics of information about SET under gender aspects the second objective and understanding interdependencies with gendered job decisions is the third objective. Collecting measures of good practice, evaluating them and creating new effective methods for changing images of SET under gender aspects is the fourth objective. Good practice and dissemination measures will demonstrate media presentations which can contribute towards a gender equal image of SET. For fulfilling the previous set objectives MOTIVATION will use different methodological measures.  Content analysis will be used for analysing of mass media (print and non-print), especially how visual and textual presentations contribute towards a weakening or strengthening of a stereotyped image of SET. Focus group discussions with young people will give information about possible peer group and media influence for job decisions. Interviews and focus group discussions with teachers and job consultants will help collecting information about their perceived influence on the attitudes of teenagers. Qualitative case studies will show chances for changing attitudes of young people on SET by describing examples of good practice. Further more workshops for knowledge exchange and common analysis of results together with experts built one main emphasis of the MOTIVATION project. Results of case studies and evaluations will be presented on a website.

Supplemented are the content related work packages by two lasting work packages aiming at the coordination of MOTIVATION and the dissemination of project related results or actions: