Gender Gaps Persist in STEM Major

8/10/2019 Gender Gaps Persist in STEM Major

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Gender Gaps Persist in STEM Majors 1

Gender Gaps Persist in STEM Majors

Julio Francisco

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"The days when girls were told blatantly that they can 't take advance math is over...But there

are still challenge to equity"-- Lara S. Kaufmann, a senior counsel at the National Women's

Law Center in Washington (Robelen, 2012).

The Department of Education (2012) reported that approximately 57% of students in

postsecondary education are women. During the 2009-10 year, about 54.4% of women

received a bachelor's degree and 62.6% received a master's degree. In addition, based on

the Census Bureaus 2009 American Community Survey (ACS), the workforce comprised of

48% of women, but 24% are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) workers

(U.S. Department of Commerce [DOC], 2011). Despite the progress made in having more

women in STEM fields, there is still a gender gap in these field. One challenge faced today is

to improve women involvement in STEM fields and for women to remain in such disciplines.

There are three questions to be address: (1) Why are women disengaging from STEM

programs? (2)Why is it important for women to enter such industries? (3) How can one bolster

womens employment in STEM field? This literature review focuses on the factors that

contribute to women disengaging from STEM fields. Also, this paper examine the importance

of having women in STEM industries and propose solutions to the current plight. Overall,

admitting more women in STEM fields will close the gender gap and bring further equity

among men and women.

According to data from the Department of Education (ED) (2012), about 8.1% of girls

were enrolled in the gifted and talented educational program in 2009, compare to the 7.4% of

boys' participated. ED also reported that girls were less likely than boys to be held back a

year. In addition, girls outnumbered boys in advance placement (AP) courses such as

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science, foreign language, and other AP subjects however, boys outnumbered girls in AP

mathematics. In spite of the fact that girls have accomplished greater achievement than boys,

girls choose not to pursue a career in STEM fields.

In 2012, the Girl Scouts Research Institute (GSRI) investigated why girls disengage

from STEM fields. GSRI conducted a nationwide study, called "Generation STEM," in which a

sample of 852 girl ages 14 through 17 were surveyed. Results were surprising. GSRI reported

that 74% of teen girls were interested in the field of STEM and STEM subjects, and girls

interested in STEM are high achiever who have supportive adult network and are exposed to

STEM field (p. 2). Even though 74% of girls claimed they were interested in STEM subjects,

only 13% of girls expressed that pursuing STEM careers were their first choice. The reasons

for the few fervent STEM girls are the psychological and sociological barriers encountered

when working toward a career in STEM. For instance, girls often internalize negative and

archaic stereotypes. They adopt the belief that boys are better than girls in fields such as

mathematics. As a result of internalizing such fallacious beliefs, girls perform much poorer

than boy. Furthermore, Shapiro and Williams (2012) proclaimed that parents and teachers

transmit negative stereotypes to girls about women's mathematical abilities as early as

preschool age. This shapes girls attitude toward math and "ultimately undermining

performance and interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields"

(Introduction section, para. 1). Even when girls have cultivated a positive attitude towards

mathematics, these stereotypical beliefs deter girls from pursuing in STEM fields. Lastly,

research has shown that girls are more likely than boys to give up pursuing STEM careers

when materials become scabrous. They experience low confidence in their ability and

self-doubt themselves (Halvarson, 2012). Overall, these gender expectation and behavior can

damage girls' self-esteem and prevent girls for pursuing STEM fields.

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According to the Higher Education Research Institute, research revealed that 15 % of

American female college freshman planned to declare a STEM major, compared to 29% of

their male counterparts (St. Rose, 2010). The transition to college brings new challenges and

stressors that may restrain first year students from majoring in STEM fields. Seymour and

Hewitt determined that student performance in such courses is an indicator as to whether or

not students will switch out of the STEM program (as cited by Gasiewski, Eagan, Garcia,

Hurtado, & Chang, 2011). Most women often drop out of STEM majors during the first year.

Therefore, the transition to college is a critical period in fostering women's engagement to

STEM. The reason why undergraduate women drop out of STEM programs is that women

often feel isolated, intimidated, and face inimicality from male peers as well as male

professors (Rosethanl, London, Levy, & Lobel, 2012). Not to mention, women receive less

positive reinforcement and encouragement from professors, instructors, and mentors than

men (Buday, Stake, Peterson, 2012). In fact, a Bayer Fact of Science survey examined the

experience of 1,226 women and minority scientists from childhood to the workplace. The

survey revealed that about 40% of participant experienced discouragement during some point

of their career and 60% said that more dissuasion occurred in college, majority from

professors ("Women, minorities," 2010). Women requires a source of support from the

academic institute and outside source. Academic social support can come from mentoring

program and support groups, while outside support can come from families and friends.

Social support has proven to help alleviate stressors. For instance, Klink, Byars-Winston, and

Bakken (2008) conducted a research, in which Klink and colleagues surveyed 238 premedical

students regarding their coping efficacy and perceived family support. Results demonstrated

that family support was a key factor in establishing these premedical students' confidence

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when faced with academic challenges and also developing coping strategies when faced with

stressors.

Even after finishing school and settling in a STEM career, "women encounter potential

career-ending traps" (Purcell, 2012). Once in a STEM job, most women face the demand of

taking care of their family, while balancing work (DOC, 2011). Unfortunately, some

employment lack alternative tenure clocks, child care, and paid leave (Glass & Minnotle,

2010). It is important to have women engage in STEM field in order "to improve diversity,

maximize creativity and boost competitive" (Purcell, 2012). "Many jobs within the STEM fields

focus on designing products and materials that aim to advance our experience and allow us to

live safer lives. Therefore, it is critical to ensure products and materials are developed to

benefit both genders" (Purcell, 2012). In one case, Elka Koehler, a mother and wife whose

family support her engineering career,expressed, "the most powerful reason that I hope and

work for a change is that I want my daughter to have all the opportunities the world has to

offer so that she can reach her full potential and find contentment in life" (Koehler, 2008).

Thus, it is important to have women in order to manufacture products suitable for both

genders and to allow women to reach their highest aspirations.

Overall, the factors that assiduously appear to thwart STEM women and girls are

psychological and sociological factors. These factors includes negative stereotypes

transmitted by parents and teachers, dissuasion from others, and lack of social support. Other

reasons for women's disengagement are the lack of interest for STEM and the challenge of

balancing life-work lifestyle (GSRI, 2012). Also, Diekman et al. (2011) noted that women

value communal goals (e.g. working with and helping others), which cannot be fulfilled when

pursuing a STEM career. Another reason that was not mentioned is that women of color

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confront a greater deal of obstacles when pursuing a STEM career. Studies confirmed that

the notion of women of color lacking interest in STEM disciplines is a myth (Unraveling the,

2011). Women of color experience a double bind, in which they encounter being oppressed

for being a women and being an underrepresented minority. A limited amount of researches

has been conducted about the unique challenge faced by underrepresented minority women

who pursue a STEM career. Important to mention, Asian women lag behind not only white but

also white women, even though both Asian men and women excel in STEM courses (Jing &

Wu, 2011)

Numerous of programs has been proposed and implemented in order to improve

gender equity in STEM, but data does not show a significant gain (Wasburn & White, 2006).

Not all programs that will be propose would be one-size-fit-all due to the fact that women

come from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. To increase the number of

women employed in STEM industries, one needs to improve the recruiting and hiring

process.Studies shown that women and men have different social network to job

availabilities. Since employers rely on their extant employees social network to recruit

potential applicants, women may lack information to job opening relative to men in a

male-dominated careers, like STEM jobs, due to the fact that males share information to other

male counterparts. Glass and Minnotte (2010) indicated that posting job availability in venues

that target women would increase the percentage of women applicants. So far the outlook of

women in STEM majors is a working progress, requiring creativity approaches and ingenuity

to increase women in the STEM field. Lets hope the gender barrier can be broken!

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References:

Buday, S.K., Stake, J.E., & Peterson, Z. D. (2012) Gender and the Choice of Science Career:

The Impact of Social Support and Possible Selves. Sex Role, 66, 197-209. DOI:

10.1007/s.11199-011-0015-4.

Diekman, A. B., Clark, E. K., Johnston, A. M., Brown, E. R., & Steinberg, M. (2011).

Malleability in communal goals and beliefs influences attraction to stem careers:

Evidence for a goal congruity perspective. Journal Of Personality And Social

Psychology, 101(5), 902-918. doi:10.1037/a0025199.

Gasiewski, J.A., Eagan, K. M., Garcia, G. A., Hurtado S., & Chang, M. J. (2011, December

14). From Gatekeepeing to Engagement: A Multicontextual, Mixed Method Study of

Student Academic Engagement in Introductory STEM courses. Research in

Education, 54 (2), 229-261. DOI: 10.1007/s11162-011-9247-y.

Girl Scout Research Institute. (2012). Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science ,

Technology, Engineering, and Math. Retrieved from

http://www.girlscouts.org/research/publications/stem/g

eneration_stem_what_girls_say.asp

Glass, C., & Minnotle, K.L. (2010). Recruiting and Hiring Women in STEM fields. National

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Halvarson, H.G. (2012, March 1). The Trouble with Bright Girls. Huffington Post. Retrieved

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Jing, W., & Wu, L. (2011). Asian women in STEM careers: an invisible minority in a double

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Gender Gaps Persist in STEM Major