Science, Technology, Engineering And Math Fields Research Articles

The effects of social media on STEM identity in adolescent girls

Social media is widely used and easily accessible for adolescents, it has the potential to increase STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) identity in girls. We aimed to investigate the effects of exposure to counter-stereotypical portrayals of women in STEM on social media on the STEM identity of adolescent girls. The study involved 20 high school girls, randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The participants completed pretest and posttest surveys to measure their STEM identity, including STEM interest and self-efficacy. The results did not support the hypothesis that exposure to counter-stereotypical portrayals of women in STEM on social media would increase STEM identity in adolescent girls. There was no statistically significant difference in STEM identity scores between the experimental and control groups. Similarly, there was no significant change in STEM interest or self-efficacy for both groups. Additional data analysis revealed that the participants who had aspirations for a career outside of STEM experienced a significantly higher increase in STEM identity than those who aspired to have a STEM career. The study concluded that social media alone may not be an effective tool to increase STEM identity in girls. It is worth exploring other, potentially more impactful solutions to bridge the gender gap in STEM. Social media can still be used as a complementary tool to support and encourage women in STEM, but it should not be relied upon solely to address the gender disparity in STEM fields.

Facilitating the Success of Women’s Early Career Grants: A Local Solution to a National Problem

Grant funding is essential to the advancement of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields with certain grants viewed as especially prestigious and career formative. The goal of this project was twofold: first to describe the gender demographics of the national winners of two prestigious grants and second, to document the impact of an educational program aimed at improving the success for women in STEM fields in a local setting. In Study 1, we analyzed publicly available national data to document gender gaps in National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) and National Institutes of Health’s K01 awards from 2008-2021. Results showed that, while the ratio of K01 awards favored women, the ratio of men-to-women CAREER awardees favored men. In Study 2, we implemented a grant-writing program for CAREER awards based in self-determination theory at one university and analyzed its impact on funding success. Results comparing before the educational program and after showed that the average annual success rate increased for everyone from 11% to 33%. Women-identified faculty who participated in the program were awarded CAREER funding at a higher rate than would be expected from the number of women eligible to apply or submission rates. While the correlational and observational nature of this study make it impossible to conclude that it was only the educational programs that resulted in the benefits to women’s award success, we encourage other universities to consider adapting the program and enable faculty development around grant success.

Using Supplemental Instruction through the EMPOWER Program to Increase Diversity in STEM Fields

The underrepresentation of women and racial minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields is of national concern. Despite recent increases, females continue to be underrepresented in math, physical science, and engineering related fields compared to their male counterparts. There is also evidence showing a troubling inequity trend in enrollment of most graduate and all post graduate degrees in STEM fields. These factors ultimately impact the workforce with women less likely than men with similar degrees to actually be employed in these fields, constituting 23% of the science and engineering labor force and only 10 % of employed physicists. Well-structured interventions are needed to support African American women in overcoming barriers to increase their representation in STEM. What is Needed to Make a Difference? Extracurricular instruction in the form of supplemental educational programming is needed to identify, engage and retain African American female students to ensure their level of post-secondary education STEM success and beyond. The R25 Summer Research Education Program is designed to support education activities that complement and or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. Methods: The Engaging Multidisciplinary Professional Opportunities for Women in Environmental Research (EMPOWER) program was created to address the diversity in STEM. This summer research experience program was developed to educate high school science teachers in tandem with outstanding African American and Hispanic women from metro Atlanta high schools in the research approaches and competencies required for a deeper understanding of how to measure and assess environmental exposures, including air and water in the urban environment and link them to health effects. Results/Discussion: Students and teachers participated in a four-week summer program. The primary objectives of EMPOWER were two-fold including:1) Enhance teaching capacity within the sciences and assist in the development of public and environmental health curriculum along with in class activities intended to promote interest in STEM. 2) Provide African-American and LatinX women opportunities to engage in faculty lead research projects, obtain hands-on training in tandem with professional and soft skill development. EMPOWER’s major contribution will be to continue to enhance STEM education in high schools leading to higher quality post-secondary opportunities and greater workforce diversity. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

The role of media professionals in perpetuating and disrupting stereotypes of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields

Women continue to be underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields despite efforts to enhance interest and persistence at all levels in the educational pipeline. The “chilly” climate documented for girls and women in STEM exists within a broader communication climate established and reinforced by media professionals. The present study examined the role of media professionals in perpetuating stereotypes of women in STEM through two approaches (1) conducting interviews with seventeen STEM women about their engagement with media professionals and (2) surveying 105 media professionals about their stereotypes about science and scientists. STEM women report positive interactions with the media despite incidents of unprofessionalism, dissonance between the processes and pace of science vs. the media, an undercurrent of issues pertaining to gender and other forms of representation, and an ethical responsibility to engage with media. The survey of media professionals revealed persistent stereotypes about scientists across both genders, and these stereotypes were more pronounced among those who engaged with science as part of their job, particularly among those working in entertainment and advertising and those working outside of journalism and social media. To establish greater equity in STEM fields and the knowledge pipeline, communication scholars must investigate the role of media professionals in this process and consider best practices to disrupt media stereotypes about STEM women.

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

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.

Brief Stories of Successful Female Role Models in Science Help Counter Gender Stereotypes Regarding Intellectual Ability among Young Girls: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Negative stereotypes about female intellectual abilities occur in children as young as 6-years-old and can shape a child’s educational path and career choice, particularly in relation to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The current study (N = 40) explored preexisting gender stereotypes in a purposeful sample of 6 to 8-year-old white British girls at a dance and performing arts center and tested the impact of a brief story-based intervention that exposed young girls to intellectually brilliant female role models in STEM. Rch Findings: Findings indicated that exposure to stories about women in science can help counter negative stereotypes concerning female intellectual ability. Another stereotype, “females are nicer than males”, was prevalent in most participants and was not affected by the current intervention. Pre or Policy: A key implication of this study is that young girls who learn about members of their own gender group who accomplished success in STEM fields may be more inclined to think of STEM careers as a possibility for females in future.

Exploring Latent Profiles of Stereotype Threat Susceptibility in U.S. and Colombian Students

Introduction: The present study investigated the theoretical Stereotyping Threat-susceptibility groups proposed by Steele (1997) by using a latent class analysis. Method: 413 undergraduate students from the U.S and Colombia, majoring in various Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) and non-STEM disciplines completed a stereotype threat susceptibility measure-- the Social Identities and Attitudes Scale, SIAS (Picho & Brown, 2011). Results: For U.S. women in STEM results indicated the presence of three ST susceptibility profiles (i.e., low and high ST susceptibility classes and a disengaged class) and two variations of an un-identified class in the non-STEM sample. High and low susceptibility to ST classes were found for Colombian women in STEM, while the non-STEM sample yielded disengaged and un-identified classes. In both countries, over 70% of the women in STEM were classified as highly susceptible to ST. Discussion: This is the first study investigating latent profiles of susceptibility to ST (SST) so additional replication with samples from different populations is strongly recommended. Extensive investigation into latent profiles of ST susceptibility could provide the insight required to develop differentiated ST reduction strategies for students in STEM and non-STEM fields of study.

Join us: Dynamic norms encourage women to pursue STEM

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields is a key challenge in many countries. Extant studies have explored why women opt out of STEM fields and how to encourage women to enter these fields. The current research examined the use of dynamic information about the collective change in a behavior over time to increase women’s willingness and intention to embark on STEM fields. Across two experimental studies and a mini meta-analysis, we found that when exposed to a message about an increasing number of women choosing to pursue STEM careers over time, female students in high school (Study 1) and college (Study 2) were more likely to declare an intention to enter STEM fields and have more interest in STEM careers. Furthermore, we tested the mediating effects of self-efficacy and perceived identity compatibility (Study 2). The results showed that dynamic norms can increase women’s self-efficacy for pursuing a career in STEM fields and perceived identity compatibility, thereby leading to greater interest in STEM fields and more willingness to choose a STEM career.

The STEM Selfing Process: Nondigital and Digital Determinants of Aspirational STEM Futures

This article takes a fresh approach to analyzing the nondigital and digital sources of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) intent among low–socioeconomic status (SES) high school students attending a Title I public high school in agricultural California. Through a hybrid quantitative–qualitative analysis of data, STEM intent is examined vis-à-vis the selfing process. STEM intent is conceptualized as the product of identity work that can be supported by digital engagements of diverse types. STEM identity is built and reinforced by exposure to digital resources at home, aspirations related to computer programming, and digital activities, particularly programming and/or gaming for at least one hour per week. The linkages are demonstrated quantitatively through logistic regression models and qualitatively with excerpts from in-depth interviews with matched STEM intent students. The regression models show that both nondigital factors and digital engagements influence the odds of expressing STEM intent among high school seniors. As the qualitative analysis demonstrates, these determinants are intimately linked to identity work in which STEM intent students imagine themselves as creators in STEM fields. Digital engagements such as programming, gaming, and internet exposure all play a crucial part in the STEM selfing process in which students imagine their future STEM selves by bringing to life the role of STEM creator. In the article’s concluding discussion these findings are developed in a new theoretical direction as evidence for the agentic technological self.

The HBCU-HDI Women in STEM Conferences

Although the number of women enrolling in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses has increased over the past few years, women still remain widely underrepresented in STEM fields. To address this serious issue, the HBCU-HDI Women in STEM Conference, an event organised by Dr Sonya Smith and her colleagues at Howard University, brings female scientists and graduate students from the US and South Africa together to openly discuss the challenges and opportunities for women pursuing careers in STEM-related fields.

Biomechanists can revolutionize the STEM pipeline by engaging youth athletes in sports-science based STEM outreach

Increasing diversity in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields has become imperative to ensure equitable access to economic opportunity and to provide the technologically adept workforce of the future. The present STEM pipeline preferentially engages youth who are, not only aware of and interested in STEM, but also, can see themselves on a path to a STEM career. The present pipeline fails to capture youth for whom STEM remains remote and outside their current experience. Interest in sports casts a wider net and includes populations currently underrepresented in the STEM pipeline and in STEM careers. To engage these young people in STEM, it is necessary to incorporate STEM into activities they enjoy and already participate in, such as sports. Sports engage millions of youth who are intrinsically motivated to grow and improve as athletes. Biomechanical experiments and activities can build a bridge between young people’s interest in sport activities to awareness and interest in STEM. This connection between science and sports is reinforced by the growing use of sports-science as a tool for elite athletic performance at the highest levels. The potential of sports-science to provide diverse youth with access to the STEM Pipeline is extraordinarily promising. Biomechanics researchers are uniquely positioned to deliver on the promise of sport-science based STEM outreach due to the applicability of biomechanical analysis to sports-science analysis. Historically, and not without resistance and great effort, participation in sports has broken barriers of cultural and racial discrimination within broader society. Through sports-science infused STEM outreach, biomechanists have potential to jumpstart the same process within the STEM career fields.

Expected and unexpected effects of sexism on women’s mathematics performance

Research has shown that gender differences in Math performance are partially predicted by sociocultural aspects such as sexist ideologies and stereotypes. This study examined sexist ideologies as predictors of women´s achievement in standardized Math tests, and the mediation role of Math-gender stereotypes and Math self- efficacy, while controlling for abstract reasoning, among high-school girls (H.S.), and university women majoring Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), and in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Among H.S. girls, data showed the expected indirect effect of Math gender stereotypes on Math achievement via Math self-efficacy. Among university students, model adjustment was less optimal. An unexpected positive relationship between hostile sexism and Math performance in STEM fields emerged. Out data suggest several mechanisms by which ideologies and gender stereotypes affect women´s Math performance.

Deep teaching in a college STEM classroom

The retention of underrepresented students remains a significant challenge in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines. A broad range of studies across several disciplines have shown that conventional approaches to STEM instruction may have been unintentionally exclusive to students whose ethnicities are not traditionally represented in the STEM fields. This ‘exclusive’ classroom atmosphere has emerged as a major reason for the attrition of underrepresented minority students from STEM majors. In this manuscript, I describe a conceptual model called Deep Teaching, describing how pedagogical transformation incorporating practices that are more inclusive can occur. The model marks an evolution from other frameworks advancing inclusive instruction in higher education by advocating for the primacy of Freirean philosophy when thinking about self and student. Using specific examples, I discuss how a sequential approach to understanding ourselves and empathizing with students puts the instructor in a better position to create enduring, positive classroom climates. I also describe considerations necessary for various contexts, and suggestions for continued commitment to inclusive pedagogy in the long-term.

Developing an Indigenous Mentoring Program for faculty mentoring American Indian and Alaska Native graduate students in STEM: a qualitative study

ABSTRACTIn order to increase graduation rates of American Indian and Alaska Native doctoral candidates in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, a culturally attuned mentorship program needs to be developed. In our study, we used a conversational method of Indigenous research that privileges relationships and lived experiences to inform such a program. Data was collected in semi-structured interviews using a conversational guide and initial themes were deliberated and refined into a coding framework that was subsequently applied to the data. The themes that emerged from the research included relationality, cultural humility, Indigenous worldviews, suggestions for activities, and resources/support. These themes established the framework for an Indigenous mentoring program (IMP) for faculty mentors of American Indian/Alaska Native graduate students in STEM at four, 4-year institutions and a tribal college.

Instructional strategies and course design for teaching statistics online: perspectives from online students

BackgroundTeaching online is a different experience from that of teaching in a face-to-face setting. Knowledge and skills developed for teaching face-to-face classes are not adequate preparation for teaching online. It is even more challenging to teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses completely online because these courses usually require more hands-on activities and live demonstrations. Although the demand for online STEM courses has never been higher, little has been done to develop effective instructional and online course design strategies for teaching STEM courses online. This paper reports the effectiveness of the instructional strategies adopted and the online course design features in a fully online statistics course from the students’ perspectives. The online statistics course was an introductory, quantitative research course that covered common statistical concepts and focused on the application of educational research concepts for graduate students in educational technology. In terms of the statistics concepts covered, the course was similar to an introductory statistics class for students majoring in science, technology, math and engineering (STEM). The participants were mostly K-20 (meaning from kindergarten to college) instructors who had knowledge of instructional strategies.ResultsData collected from participants’ reflections and course evaluations revealed that a range of instructional strategies and course design features were effective and helped students learn statistics in an online environment. Specifically, case studies, video demonstrations, instructor’s notes, mini projects, and an online discussion forum were most effective. For online course design features, consistent structure, various resources and learning activities, and the application focused course content were found to be effective.ConclusionsThe implications of this study include effective instructional strategies and online course design for application-oriented STEM courses such as physics and engineering. The study results can be used to guide online teaching and learning as well as online course design for instructors, course designers, and students in STEM fields.

Moderating Influences of Student–Faculty Interactions on Students’ Graduate and Professional School Aspirations

Moderating Influences of Student–Faculty Interactions on Students’ Graduate and Professional School Aspirations Teniell L. Trolian (bio) and Eugene T. Parker III (bio) There is an inverse relationship between lifetime unemployment rates and attainment of advanced college degrees, as well as a positive relationship between levels of human capital and graduate degree attainment (Carnevale, Cheah, & Strohl, 2012). This suggests that there is a need to better understand college experiences that may promote students’ interests in pursuing graduate or professional education. Interactions with faculty members in college influence a host of college outcomes (Kim & Sax, 2017; Mayhew, Rockenbach, Bowman, Seifert, & Wolniak, 2016; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005), but less is known about whether these interactions influence students’ aspirations to attend graduate or professional school and whether this influence is the same for all students. In this study, we examined the relationship between five measures of students’ interactions with faculty in college and students’ aspirations to earn a graduate or professional degree. Additionally, we considered whether this relationship is similar for all students or whether it is moderated by students’ sex or race/ethnicity. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The literature on student–faculty interactions demonstrates a positive link between students’ interactions with faculty in college and outcomes such as cognitive growth, social integration, retention, psychological well-being, and academic motivation (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Cotton & Wilson, 2006; Kim & Lundberg, 2016; Kuh & Hu, 2001; Smart, Feldman, & Ethington, 2000; Trolian & Archibald, 2015; Trolian, Jach, Hanson, & Pascarella, 2016). Some researchers have also investigated moderating effects of student– faculty interactions, including effects of characteristics such as sex and race/ethnicity, but they have found mixed results. For example, differences have been detected in the frequency of faculty interactions for male and female students (Hagedorn, Maxwell, Rodriguez, Hocevar, & Fillpot, 2000; Komarraju, Musulkin, & Bhattacharya, 2010; Sax, Bryant, & Harper, 2005); however, other research has indicated few differences in outcomes between male and female students who engage in frequent interactions with faculty members (Trolian & Archibald, 2015; Trolian et al., 2016). Similarly, in a study of African American, Asian American, and Latino students, Cole (2010) found similarities between the student groups in course-related contact with faculty and faculty advice/criticism, but also found some differences in terms of students’ experiences with faculty mentorship. Additionally, a study of Latino/a students demonstrated a positive link between GPA and student–faculty exchanges, such as talking with faculty, discussing career plans, [End Page 1261] and working on research projects (Anaya & Cole, 2001), suggesting that some students of color may have differing experiences in their interactions with faculty. Despite the demonstrated benefits of student–faculty interactions on student growth and learning (Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005), few researchers have examined the influence of these experiences on postcollege or career outcomes. Hanson, Paulsen, and Pascarella (2016) found that several faculty practices, including providing prompt feedback to students, engaging in research projects with students, and frequently interacting with students outside of class, were positively related to students’ graduate and professional school aspirations. Additionally, for students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, Eagan et al. (2013) found a positive relationship between participation in undergraduate research and intentions to obtain a graduate or professional degree. Finally, Strayhorn (2010) examined the influence of participation in undergraduate research on students’ STEM graduate degree aspirations for students of color, finding that participation in undergraduate research programs positively influenced STEM graduate degree aspirations but that this relationship did not persist when controlling for other potential influences, such as students’ background characteristics. Despite the important contributions of these studies, researchers have not yet examined whether the relationship between students’ interactions with faculty during college and their graduate and professional school aspirations may be moderated by students’ sex or race/ethnicity. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY In this study, we examined whether several measures of students’ interactions with faculty in college are associated with students’ graduate or professional school aspirations. This study adds to the existing literature on student– faculty interactions in college by considering the context of students’ interactions with faculty through the use of five separate measures of student–faculty interaction and by using a precollege measure of students’ degree aspirations to isolate change in aspirations during college. Additionally, we considered whether the relationships examined were moderated...

Public Understanding of Science and K-12 STEM Education Outcomes: Effects of Idaho Parents’ Orientation Toward Science on Students’ Attitudes Toward Science

Over the past few decades, public anxiety about how people interact with science has spawned cycles of discourse across a wide range of media, public and private initiatives, and substantial research endeavors. National and international STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education initiatives and research have addressed how students interact with science and pursue careers in STEM fields. Researchers concerned with adult interaction with science have focused on factors that influence how citizens gather and interpret scientific knowledge and form positions on scientific issues, applications, and/or policy in a politicized democratic milieu. Building from research on how the public interacts with science in and outside of formal education, this study focuses on attitudes toward science among students in 4th, 7th, and 10th grades and their parents. Little research to date has paired the STEM experiences of adults with their children. We find that the extent to which parents are positively oriented toward science significantly shapes their children’s attitudes toward science. Furthermore, between 7th and 10th grades, students with parents holding positive orientations toward science are more likely to sustain positive attitudes toward science. Since the foundation for most adults’ interactions with science develops in the K-12 environment, we demonstrate that the foundation, as expressed in adulthood, may directly affect the ways the next generation of students interacts with science. We offer insights into the importance of developing student learning into the social scientific research on public understanding of science and how important scientific issues of today interplay with society.

Engaging voices

Engaging voices

Examination of Factors that Predict Academic Adjustment and Success of Community College Transfer Students in STEM at 4-Year Institutions

ABSTRACTThere are a limited number of individuals who possess the skills to fulfill the workforce demand in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in the United States. Therefore, community colleges and 4-year institutions must be able to identify academic and social factors that impact students’ participation in the areas of STEM. These institutions must also explore the possibility that these factors contribute to the high rate of students switching out of STEM fields. This study’s purpose was to develop a better understanding of the perceptions of community college transfer students who continue at a 4-year institution to determine academic and social factors that influenced their academic success in STEM. To collect the quantitative data, the Laanan-Transfer Students’ Questionnaire was utilized. The results of this study reveal that Academic Adjustment was predicted by father’s highest level of education, interaction with faculty at the community college and university, and perception as a transfer student at the university. The cumulative grade point average (GPA), was predicted by the highest level of education of the father, associate degree obtained at the community college, community college transfer GPA, general courses from the community college, transfer credit hours, and university course learning. Overall, the findings indicate that community colleges and 4-year institutions should encourage students to be connecting more in class and after class—not only with their peers, but also with faculty. Findings also suggest that students should become more involved academically and socially to enhance their academic and social adjustment at a 4-year institution.

Staying in STEM or changing course: Do natives and immigrants pursue the path of least resistance?

This paper examines why Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields are becoming “immigrant” fields of study as native students shift from STEM fields to law, medicine and business. Using data from the 2010 National Survey of College Graduates, the analyses find that foreign college-educated immigrants with STEM degrees tend to remain in STEM fields, while natives are more likely to shift from STEM fields to law, medicine and business in graduate school. Among those who moved into law, medicine and business, the gains in earnings are larger for natives than for foreign educated immigrants. These results have important implications for the social mobility of highly educated natives and immigrants.