Begell House Inc.
Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
JWM
1072-8325
19
1
2013
UNDERSTANDING THE CAREER CHOICE FOR UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
1-16
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2013005361
Audrey J.
Jaeger
Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development, College
of Education, North Carolina State University, 310 Poe Hall, Box 7801, Raleigh,
North Carolina 27695, USA
Karen J.
Haley
Department of Educational Leadership & Policy, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207
Frim
Ampaw
Morgan State University
John S.
Levin
Graduate School of Education, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA
agency
career choice
doctoral students
faculty
graduate students
identity
self-authoring
This study explored the career choices of underrepresented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics minority graduate students through the lens of identity theory. Twelve participants from a research university in the West participated in in-depth interviews. Themes were developed using work from Holland et al. (Identity and Agency in Cultural Worlds, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998) including figured worlds, positionality, self-authoring, and agency. Positionality, as described by students' roles in academia, appeared to be influenced by the nature of "doing" science and engineering. Graduate students in this study found the world of academia in conflict with their own values and identity. What they wanted as a career was often inconsistent with their perceptions of what they observed in a faculty role at a research university.
EFFECTS OF AN ONLINE PERSONAL RESILIENCE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN IN STEM DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
17-35
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2013005351
Jennifer M.
Bekki
Department of Engineering, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona 85212
Mary Lee
Smith
Policy Studies, College of Education, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
Bianca L.
Bernstein
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
85287
Caroline
Harrison
CareerWISE Research Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287
randomized controlled trial
persistence
psychological intervention
coping efficacy
graduate students
Women drop out of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) doctoral programs at a higher rate than men, reducing further the diversity of rising experts eligible for faculty and research positions in these fields. Consequently, strategies are needed to improve persistence to doctoral degree completion among women in STEM. The CareerWISE program takes a unique approach by providing individuals online training in key intra- and interpersonal skills believed to influence persistence. This paper describes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CareerWISE intervention. In the RCT, 133 female doctoral students in the physical sciences and engineering utilized the online resource for at least 5 h. Comparisons of the treatment and wait¬list control groups yielded strong effect sizes, demonstrating that even a small amount of exposure to the CareerWISE intervention increased the key measures of problem solving, resilience, and coping efficacy, all of which are linked to persistence. Also, comparisons of the wait-list control group before and after exposure to the CareerWISE online resource revealed significant differences for the three key variables in addition to measures of personal resources, confidence to achieve STEM landmarks, coping styles, and barrier perceptions. The results provide persuasive evidence that students can use and faculty can recommend this resource to attain beneficial outcomes that are associated with psychological well-being and to predict persistence. The study results also reinforce the notion that interventions designed for individuals can supplement institutional and policy strategies to broaden and retain the participation of women in science and engineering careers.
OUTREACH EMPHASIS ON THE HUMAN IMPACT POTENTIAL OF ENGINEERING IMPROVES PERCEPTIONS OF UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS
37-45
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2013005722
Christina R.
Scherrer
Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, Georgia, USA
K-12
outreach
hands-on
social good
survey
Emphasizing the social good of engineering at the K−12 level could increase participation in engineering, especially among some traditionally underrepresented groups in the engineering field. This article outlines and evaluates the impacts of an outreach program designed to increase exposure to the diversity of careers available to engineering graduates and to the potential to make a positive impact in the world by choosing to major in engineering. The outreach was designed and implemented by an engineering technology faculty member in partnership with undergraduate students enrolled in various engineering technology degree programs at her university. Teams visited local high schools with an interactive presentation followed by hands-on projects for the students to complete. The projects focused on engineering a better life, engineering for underdeveloped countries, and engineering to help the environment. Students were surveyed before and after the visit to measure changes in their perceptions of engineering. The results are very favorable, with statistically significant increases in the percentage of students saying they are "very likely" or "somewhat likely" to "choose engineering as a career." These results support inclusion of such outreach projects at other universities as a way to attract students from underrepresented groups to engineering.
CAREER CERTAINTY AND PERSISTING INTEREST IN STEM: AN ANALYSIS OF UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS
47-66
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2013004825
Jeffry L.
White
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana 70503
Sidney K.
Mitchell
University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana 70503
persisting interest
career certainty
retention
minorities
women
students with disabilities
Increased enrollment has not resulted in more degrees earned by women, minorities, or students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). Although there are numerous reasons, many students drop out or change majors due to a loss of interest in their field. This study focuses on the role that career certainty has on the persistence of interest in STEM. A criterion-group approach employing quasi-experimental survey research methods is used with randomly (n = 608) and non-randomly (n = 123) selected underrepresented student groups participating in two National Science Foundation collaborations. The psychometric attributes of the instrument created for the study are inspected using principle components analysis and Cronbach's measure of internal consistency. Although an analysis of covariance did not find covariation in career certainty, significant interactions were detected among the three groups of students. A discussion of the results of the 6-year study and conclusions are presented along with implications for research, policy, and practice for those interested in the retention of underrepresented student groups in STEM.
WILLING, ABLE, AND UNWANTED: HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' POTENTIAL SELVES IN COMPUTING
67-85
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2013004471
Kimberly
Kelly
Department of Sociology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, USA
David A.
Dampier
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, USA
Kendra
Carr
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39180, USA
STEM
gender inequity
single-sex education
role models/mentors
adolescent girls
cyber security
The shortage of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is well-documented. Many efforts address women's low representation in fields such as computing target high school girls in an effort to solidify their commitment to these fields before they enter college and create computing "potential selves." This paper describes one such effort in the rural South, the Women in Cyber Security residential camp for girls in Mississippi. Consistent with existing literature, we find girls are interested in the social relevance of various technological skills and desire hands-on, applied learning exercises. We also find girls are poorly informed about the connections between different types of skills and the jobs where such skills would be used. In fact, girls had very little idea what being a computing professional entailed. Of particular note is the girls' endorsement of single-sex skills training for at least some of the curriculum and their awareness of the barriers they would face as women in computing. Thus, girls become aware that they are unwelcome in men-dominated technology jobs even before they know what such jobs involve. Girls also identify women role models and mentors as a critical resource for negotiating and succeeding in such jobs without having experienced such relationships. Future efforts should solidify the linkages between skills and jobs, demystify computing careers, and when possible, introduce girls to senior women as role models and mentors.
WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A CASE STUDY FROM UTTARAKHAND, INDIA
87-94
10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2013004461
Sarita
Khandka
Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248006, India
Rajendra
Dobhal
Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248006, India
Nasreen
Jeelani
Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248006, India
Science and Technology Congress
women researcher
young scientist award
Considering participation in the Uttarakhand State Science and Technology Congress (USSTC) as an effective marker for participation of women researchers in the scientific arena of the state, for the the past seven years USSTC data was collected and analyzed. While the average number of women participants is less than men participants, the average number of young scientist awards received by women is greater than men. It is also found that a buffer period is required by women researchers to participate actively in science activities. Finally, the women participating in USSTC is compared with women participation in the National Science Congress, India, and inferences are derived.