2018 - Race and gender differences in how sense of belonging influences decisions to major in STEM

Attribution: Rainey, Katherine, Dancy, Melissa and Mickelson, Roslyn
Researchers: Katherine RaineyMelissa DancyRoslyn A. Mickelson
University Affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder
Email: Katherine.Rainey@colorado.edu
Research Question:
1. To what extent do students of different genders and races report they feel they belong in their STEM field and what reasons do they give for belonging and not belonging? 2. How does sense of belonging in STEM compare for students who persist in STEM majors and those who leave?
Published: Yes
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: International Journal of STEM Education
Journal Entry: 5:10
Year: 2018
Findings:

– The authors found that white men were most likely to report a sense of belonging whereas women of color were the least likely.
– Representation within one’s STEM sub-discipline, namely biology versus the physical sciences, impacts sense of belonging for women.
– Four key factors were found to contribute to sense of belonging for all students interviewed: interpersonal relationships, perceived competence, personal interest, and science identity.
– The authors findings indicate that students who remain in STEM majors report a greater sense of belonging than those who leave STEM.
– Students from underrepresented groups are less likely to
feel they belong.
– Both race and gender moderate the experiences that impact sense of belonging for science students.
– Women of color reported the feeling a sense of belonging less frequently than any demographic group.
– Lack of belonging reported by men is primarily experienced by men of color

Scholarship Types: Journal Article Reporting Empirical ResearchKeywords: BelongingGenderIntersectionalityNorth CarolinaPersistenceRaceRetentionSTEMRegions: North CarolinaMethodologies: MixedResearch Designs: InterviewsAnalysis Methods: Descriptive StatisitcsInterviews Sampling Frame:201 college seniors in the UNC system
Sampling Types: Non-Random - PurposiveAnalysis Units: StudentData Types: Mixed-Cross Sectional
Data Description:

– This article reports findings from interviews collected as part of a larger mixed method study, the Roots of STEM Success Project.
– In this paper, the authors focus on a subset of 201 interviews with college seniors, primarily women and people of colors, who were either majoring in STEM fields or had declared a STEM major and left it for a non-STEM field.
– The sample is restricted to students who attended public school (K-12) in North Carolina and who were younger than 30 years of age.
– The authors discuss one section of the longer interview that focused on students’ sense of belonging, which has been found to be related to retention.

– Ivs: Race, gender, sense of belonging in STEM
– Dvs: Staying or leaving a STEM major

Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:Barriers to STEM
Archives: K-16 STEM Abstracts