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At science centres, where “hands-on” science is the norm,
both boys and girls are reluctant to ask questions about the exhibits, according
to a three-week study of 113 primary school children at the Sciencentre in
Brisbane. When a question is asked, it is far more likely to come from a boy
than a girl. “We can only speculate that, over time, this pattern may affect
girls’ attitudes about science and their own perceptions of their abilities,”
says Scott Paris, a psychology professor from the University of Michigan
who conducted the research while on study leave at the Queensland University of
Technology. Only two per cent of girls asked questions of the “explainers,” the
volunteers who demonstrate how the exhibits work and explain the science behind
them. About 8 per cent of boys asked questions.