What’s Life Got to Do With It? The Role of Life Experiences in Shaping Female Community College Students’ Transfer Intent in STEM Fields of Study

Wickersham, Kelly; Wang, Xueli

doi:10.1080/10668926.2016.1211039

Cited by 19 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Furthermore, considering the myriad challenges identified in prior research around women in STEM fields (e.g., Hoffman et al, 2010; Packard et al, 2011), it is pivotal to examine personal and contextual influences on intentions to transfer into STEM fields at four-year institutions among women enrolled in two-year colleges. These intentions are often disrupted by life experiences that shift the pathways and even alter the intentions of women in their academic and career pursuits (e.g., Wickersham and Wang, 2016). Unfortunately, to date, this is a sorely underdeveloped line of inquiry that warrants further exploration.…”

Section: Review Of the Literature And Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Nuanced Look at Women in STEM Fields at Two-Year Colleges: Factors That Shape Female Students' Transfer Intent

et al. 2017

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In this study, we explored the relationship between the intent to transfer upward and a set of motivational, contextual, and socio-demographic background factors among 696 female students beginning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs or courses at two-year colleges in a Midwestern state. Drawing upon survey data and administrative records, our multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that students' math and science self-efficacy beliefs, as well as transfer-oriented interaction, were significant and positive predictors for their intent to transfer into STEM fields as opposed to having no intent to transfer. In addition, the association between transfer intent and these key motivational and contextual factors was moderated by students' racial/ethnic backgrounds, marital status, and childcare obligations. For example, despite the positive relationship between transfer-oriented interaction and the intention to transfer into STEM fields, Black women were less likely to have intent to transfer into STEM fields than White students until Black students reported a moderate level of transfer-oriented interaction. Conversely, Hispanic students were more likely to report intent to transfer into STEM fields than their White peers, even when Hispanic students reported a relatively low level of engagement in transfer-oriented interaction. These and other reported findings bear important and nuanced implications as policymakers, educators, and researchers continue to discover ways to better support women's educational pathways and success in STEM fields at and through two-year colleges.

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Section: Review Of the Literature And Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Nuanced Look at Women in STEM Fields at Two-Year Colleges: Factors That Shape Female Students' Transfer Intent

et al. 2017

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“…Students may face setbacks in the transfer process due to dissatisfactory advising or imperfect program alignment with the courses they have already taken (Packard, Gagnon, and Senas 2012). Students may transfer credits to STEM residential or online programs (Drew et al 2016) to complete their bachelor degrees, and institutions would be wise to recognize the importance of additional life experience as a support, rather than a barrier, to the transfer process (Wickersham and Wang 2016).…”

Section: Two-year Transfersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Status of Women in STEM in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature 2007–2017

Blackburn

2017

Science & Technology Libraries

247

155

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Increased efforts to diversify science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States have drastically increased the number of studies offering insight into the experiences of women in STEM programs in higher education. This paper presents a thematic review of the literature regarding their status from 2007 to 2017 including journals, trade magazines, theses, and dissertations. It focuses on areas of recruitment, retention, barriers, and faculty issues. Stereotypes, biases, campus culture, classroom experiences, identity, and sense of belonging are also explored. The author additionally identifies gaps and suggests related areas for new research as well as implications for librarians.

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“…Our findings revealed that being married, a caretaker, and financial provider could be a motivator to pursue transfer in STEM as a means to help loved ones and advance in life. In this same study, we also found that women may be drawn away from the STEM pathway to reconcile a better program fit and medical issues, along with making returns on an educational investment as a single parent (Wickersham & Wang, ). Taken together, these studies suggest that varying identities and experiences can work for or against women in STEM.…”

Section: Women's Identities and Experiences Mattermentioning

confidence: 77%

“…We conducted another study adopting a narrative approach to explore how life experiences shape transfer intent of two‐year college women (Wickersham & Wang, ). Our findings revealed that being married, a caretaker, and financial provider could be a motivator to pursue transfer in STEM as a means to help loved ones and advance in life.…”

Section: Women's Identities and Experiences Mattermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, maintaining self‐worth and having adequate support for college and transfer does not necessarily retain women in the STEM pathway. Our work revealed that women may eventually decide that transfer and a bachelor's degree in STEM is not necessary to prove their worth by attaining such academic milestones or “finish something in my life” (Wickersham & Wang, ). As such, support and self‐worth can work together to draw women toward or away from STEM depending on individual circumstances.…”

Section: Believe To Achieve: Building Mindsets and Supports Toward Sumentioning

confidence: 99%

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Women, Community Colleges, and STEM Careers

Wang

Wickersham

2018

New Drctns for Instit Rsrch

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What’s Life Got to Do With It? The Role of Life Experiences in Shaping Female Community College Students’ Transfer Intent in STEM Fields of Study

Cited by 19 publications

References 20 publications

A Nuanced Look at Women in STEM Fields at Two-Year Colleges: Factors That Shape Female Students' Transfer Intent

A Nuanced Look at Women in STEM Fields at Two-Year Colleges: Factors That Shape Female Students' Transfer Intent

The Status of Women in STEM in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature 2007–2017

Women, Community Colleges, and STEM Careers

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