Women\u2019s career confidence in a fixed, sexist STEM environment

Sheri L Clark,Elizabeth M Inman,Nina Maung,Bonita London,Christina Dyar

doi:10.1186/s40594-021-00313-z

Abstract

BackgroundInnovation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields in the U.S. is threatened by a lack of diversity. Social identity threat research finds messages in the academic environment devalue women and underrepresented groups in STEM, creating a chilly and hostile environment. Research has focused on the mechanisms that contribute to STEM engagement and interest at the K-12 and undergraduate level, but the mechanisms that predict sustained engagement at the graduate level have not been studied.ResultsIn a longitudinal study of doctoral students in STEM disciplines, we demonstrate that students’ beliefs that their STEM colleagues believe intelligence is a fixed (vs. malleable) trait undermine women’s engagement in STEM. Specifically, perceiving a fixed ability environment predicts greater perceptions of sexism, which erode women’s self-efficacy and sense of belongingness and lead women to consider dropping out of their STEM career.ConclusionThese findings identify one potential pathway by which women leave their STEM fields, perpetuating gender disparities in STEM.

Highlights

Advancing innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields in the U.S is often stymied by a lack of diversity among STEM students, faculty, and professionals
To test our hypothesis that perceived an entity-oriented academic environment (PEET) would predict perceptions of a sexist atmosphere, while Theory of Intelligence (TOI) would not, we conducted a simultaneous multiple regression in which PEET and theory of intelligence (TOI) were predictors, year in program was entered as a covariate, and perceptions of a sexist atmosphere was the dependent variable
Conclusion female undergraduates receive half of all bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields, women receive less than half of all graduate degrees in STEM fields and are less likely than men to work in a STEM occupation (NSF, 2019)

Summary

Introduction

Advancing innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields in the U.S is often stymied by a lack of diversity among STEM students, faculty, and professionals. Research on social identity threat and implicit biases highlights the prevalence and persistence of cues that threaten the full inclusion of women in STEM (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019). Students may receive subtle and indirect messages that reflect general beliefs about what it means to be successful in an academic domain (e.g., valuing natural ability over effort) and that convey negative stereotypes about women’s STEM abilities (e.g., Good et al, 2012; Moss-Racusin et al, 2012; Steinpreis et al, 1999). Innovation in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields in the U.S is threatened by a lack of diversity. Research has focused on the mechanisms that contribute to STEM engagement and interest at the K-12 and undergraduate level, but the mechanisms that predict sustained engagement at the graduate level have not been studied

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Conclusion