Statistical Trends in Women’s Participation in Science: Commentary on Valla and Ceci (2011)

Kessel, Cathy; Nelson, Donna J.

doi:10.1177/1745691611400206

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Although there has been some improvement in recent years, women and people of color remain underrepresented in the STEM industry for a variety of reasons that include discrimination, cultural or societal norms, and access to resources (Kessel & Nelson, ). We know that mentorship and support from peers influence a student's decision to remain in STEM (Hrabowski, ); however, students of color have shared that they were given less opportunity to engage in research activities (Hurtado et al, ) or were encouraged to leave their STEM major (Fries‐Britt, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Profiles of High School Students’ STEM Career Aspirations

Edwin

Prescod

Bryan

2019

The Career Development Quart

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Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields have a need for recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. Understanding students’ aspiration to STEM careers is important for supporting underrepresented populations. Data from a nationally representative sample (N = 20,010) of high school students who reported career aspirations were analyzed. Analyses revealed significant relations between students’ aspirations and demographic variables, and differences in aspirations based on students’ race and gender. Findings highlight a need for counselors to implement career interventions that address students’ cultural contexts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Profiles of High School Students’ STEM Career Aspirations

Edwin

Prescod

Bryan

2019

The Career Development Quart

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“…Women and people of color have been largely underrepresented in, and historically excluded from, most STEM fields, though trends are showing improvement (Kessel and Nelson, 2011; National Science Foundation and National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 2017). Reasons suggested for both race and gender underrepresentation span a range of factors including cultural norms, organizational structures, differential access to appropriate secondary school preparation, discrimination and harassment, and characteristics of individuals themselves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Race and gender differences in how sense of belonging influences decisions to major in STEM

et al. 2018

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BackgroundWomen and students of color are widely underrepresented in most STEM fields. In order to investigate this underrepresentation, we interviewed 201 college seniors, primarily women and people of color, who either majored in STEM or started but dropped a STEM major. Here we discuss one section of the longer interview that focused on students’ sense of belonging, which has been found to be related to retention. In our analysis, we examine the intersections of race and gender with students’ sense of belonging, a topic largely absent from the current literature.ResultsWe found that white men were most likely to report a sense of belonging whereas women of color were the least likely. Further, we found that representation within one’s STEM sub-discipline, namely biology versus the physical sciences, impacts sense of belonging for women. Four key factors were found to contribute to sense of belonging for all students interviewed: interpersonal relationships, perceived competence, personal interest, and science identity.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that students who remain in STEM majors report a greater sense of belonging than those who leave STEM. Additionally, we found that students from underrepresented groups are less likely to feel they belong. These findings highlight structural and cultural features of universities, as well as STEM curricula and pedagogy, that continue to privilege white males.

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“…-Carol Dweck (interview with the American Association of University Women [AAUW], 2010, p. 30) American women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math ("STEM" fields; AAUW, 2010). Certainly, progress has been made for women's representation in these fields (Kessel & Nelson, 2011) but the data are clear that from high school, to college, to graduate school and beyond the pipeline is "leaking" women all along the way (Alper, 1993;Halpern et al, 2007). Recent research has emphasized the importance of feeling a sense of belonging within a field as a predictor of success and retention (Dasgupta, 2011;Freeman, Anderman, & Jensen, 2007;Good, Rattan, & Dweck, 2012;Inzlicht & Good, 2006;Walton & Cohen, 2011), and thus it is important to understand factors that may specifically influence women's feelings of belonging and motivation for STEM fields.…”

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confidence: 99%

When Trying Hard Isn’t Natural

Smith

Lewis

Hawthorne

et al. 2012

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

175

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Feeling like one exerts more effort than others may influence women's feelings of belonging with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and impede their motivation. In Study 1, women STEM graduate students perceived they exerted more effort than peers to succeed. For women, but not men, this effort expenditure perception predicted a decreased sense of belonging, which in turn decreased motivation. Study 2 tested whether the male-dominated status of a field triggers such effort expectations. We created a fictional "eco-psychology" graduate program, which when depicted as male-dominated resulted in women expecting to exert relatively more effort and decreased their interest in pursuing the field. Study 3 found emphasizing effort as expected (and normal) to achieve success elevated women's feelings of belonging and future motivation. Results suggest effort expenditure perceptions are an indicator women use to assess their fit in STEM. Implications for enhancing women's participation in STEM are discussed.

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Statistical Trends in Women’s Participation in Science: Commentary on Valla and Ceci (2011)

Cited by 9 publications

References 1 publication

Profiles of High School Students’ STEM Career Aspirations

Profiles of High School Students’ STEM Career Aspirations

Race and gender differences in how sense of belonging influences decisions to major in STEM

When Trying Hard Isn’t Natural

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