An interdisciplinary approach to studying academic success in STEM

Abstract

This paper recommends that the research on giftedness, expertise, and gender/racial disparities in science be used in combination, on behalf of a new theoretical framework, for studying academic success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The variables characterizing expertise are presented followed by a discussion of what constitutes giftedness. We then discuss the variables considered to be contributing factors to gender and racial disparities in science. The paper concludes that the variables that define these areas of research can comprehensively identify and provide a firm paradigm for what researchers should evaluate collectively to understand success in science. We put forth several recommendations for future research studying science learning and for efforts to support expertise, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities.