A DIY‐LED‐Photometer in STEM‐fields: Basics and application examples from chemical to effect‐related analysis

Using dialogues with our informants, as well as with each other, we explore how the men and women in our research make it through their mathematics coursework and, in turn, pursue their intended majors. Our research focuses on how students navigate what we call the gendered math path and how that path conforms to and diverges from traditional gender norms. Common themes of women's lower than men's self-perception of their ability to do mathematics, along with the divergent processes of doing gender that emerged in men's and women's discussions of their application of mathematics, reminded us of the continued struggles that women have to succeed in male-dominated academic disciplines. Although self-perception helps us understand why there are fewer women in STEM fields, it is important to understand how different forms of application of ideas might add to the diversity of what it means to do good science.

Download Full-text

What Lies beneath Sustainable Education? Predicting and Tackling Gender Differences in STEM Academic Success

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041671 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1671

Author(s):

Maura A. E. Pilotti

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Academic Success ◽

Gender Roles ◽

Gender Bias ◽

Interior Design ◽

Female Students ◽

Gender Inequalities ◽

Stem Fields ◽

High School Gpa ◽

Traditional Gender Roles

In many societies across the globe, females are still underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM fields), although they are reported to have higher grades in high school and college than males. The present study was guided by the assumption that the sustainability of higher education critically rests on the academic success of both male and female students under conditions of equitable educational options, practices, and contents. It first assessed the persistence of familiar patterns of gender bias (e.g., do competencies at enrollment, serving as academic precursors, and academic performance favor females?) in college students of a society in transition from a gender-segregated workforce with marked gender inequalities to one whose aims at integrating into the global economy demand that women pursue once forbidden careers thought to be the exclusive domain of men. It then examined how simple indices of academic readiness, as well as preferences for fields fitting traditional gender roles, could predict attainment of key competencies and motivation to graduate (as measured by the average number of credits completed per year) in college. As expected, females had a higher high school GPA. Once in college, they were underrepresented in a major that fitted traditional gender roles (interior design) and over-represented in one that did not fit (business). Female students’ performance and motivation to graduate did not differ between the male-suited major of business and the female-suited major of interior design. Male students’ performance and motivation to graduate were higher in engineering than in business, albeit both majors were gender-role consistent. Although high school GPA and English proficiency scores predicted performance and motivation for all, preference for engineering over business also predicted males’ performance and motivation. These findings offered a more complex picture of patterns of gender bias, thereby inspiring the implementation of targeted educational interventions to improve females’ motivation for and enrollment in STEM fields, nowadays increasingly available to them, as well as to enhance males’ academic success in non-STEM fields such as business.

Download Full-text

Gender Differences in Academic Efficacy across STEM Fields

Sociological Perspectives ◽

10.1177/07311214211028617 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 073112142110286

Author(s):

Jennifer Ashlock ◽

Miodrag Stojnic ◽

Zeynep Tufekci

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Gender Gap ◽

Meaning Making ◽

Stem Fields ◽

Data Set ◽

Science Technology ◽

Middle Schoolers ◽

Self Assessments ◽

Math Grades ◽

And Mathematics

Cultural processes can reduce self-selection into math and science fields, but it remains unclear how confidence in computer science develops, where women are currently the least represented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Few studies evaluate both computer skills and self-assessments of skill. In this paper, we evaluate gender differences in efficacy across three STEM fields using a data set of middle schoolers, a particularly consequential period for academic pathways. Even though girls and boys do not significantly differ in terms of math grades and have similar levels of computer skill, the gender gap in computer efficacy is twice as large as the gap for math. We offer support for disaggregation of STEM fields, so the unique meaning making around computing can be addressed.

Download Full-text

Beyond biology: The importance of cultural factors in explaining gender disparities in STEM preferences

European Journal of Personality ◽

10.1177/0890207020980934 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 45-50

Author(s):

Mona El-Hout ◽

Alexandra Garr-Schultz ◽

Sapna Cheryan

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Gender Role ◽

Computer Science ◽

Cultural Factors ◽

Male Gender ◽

Cultural Factor ◽

Gender Disparities ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Stem Fields ◽

Male Gender Role

Gender disparities in participation in many STEM fields, particularly computer science, engineering, and physics, remain prevalent in Western societies. Stewart-Williams and Halsey contend that an important contributor to these disparities is gender differences in career-related preferences that are driven partly by biology. We argue that Stewart-Williams and Halsey understate the influence of cultural factors in shaping these preferences. We provide evidence for an important and overlooked cultural factor that contributes to gender disparities in computer science, engineering, and physics: masculine defaults. Masculine defaults exist when cultures value and reward traits and characteristics associated with the male gender role and see them as standard ( Cheryan & Markus, 2020 ). We provide examples of how changing computer science, engineering, and physics cultures can decrease gender disparities in participation. Finally, we discuss policy implications, specifically the importance of (1) recognizing that preferences for STEM are malleable and (2) addressing exclusionary cultures of STEM fields. Recognizing and changing exclusionary STEM cultures are important for creating a society that is more just and equitable.

Download Full-text

Class size effects in higher education: Differences across STEM and non-STEM fields

Economics of Education Review ◽

10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102104 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 82 ◽

pp. 102104

Author(s):

Elif Kara ◽

Mirco Tonin ◽

Michael Vlassopoulos

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Size Effects ◽

Class Size ◽

Stem Fields

Download Full-text

Toying With Engineering: Teaching Engineers to Be Entrepreneurial by Developing a Toy

Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy ◽

10.1177/25151274211029010 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 251512742110290

Author(s):

Smitesh Bakrania

Keyword(s):

Engineering Students ◽

Business Case ◽

Stem Fields ◽

The Past ◽

Middle Schoolers ◽

Assembly Instructions ◽

Design Projects ◽

Product Assembly ◽

Engineering Concept

Most engineering design projects focus primarily on the engineering fundamentals. Studying the business case or manufacturability of a design is often left for other courses, if at all. To address this gap, an existing mechanical engineering course project was modified by embedding the interdependent entrepreneurial dimensions. In the past, junior engineering students developed a reciprocating air engines over two semesters. The modified project extended the engineering fundamentals into an entrepreneurial venture. To accomplish this, students were asked to propose an air engine toy for middle schoolers. The proposed toy had to be assembled, provide a learning opportunity, and demonstrate utility. The students had to ensure the product appealed to those interested in the STEM fields. The students, working in groups, created renders of the final product, assembly instructions, and a guided worksheet for the kids to explore the underlying engineering concept. The groups produced a website with a video pitching their toy concepts. This case study exemplifies how any engineering endeavor can be modified to capture a more holistic simulation of the profession.

Download Full-text

The Gender Wage Gap among Ph.D. Holders: Evidence from Italy

The B E Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy ◽

10.1515/bejeap-2020-0319 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Vincenzo Alfano ◽

Lorenzo Cicatiello ◽

Giuseppe Lucio Gaeta ◽

Mauro Pinto

Keyword(s):

Gender Gap ◽

Gender Wage Gap ◽

Wage Gap ◽

Decomposition Analysis ◽

Stem Fields ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Educational Qualification ◽

Employment Conditions ◽

Quantile Decomposition ◽

Selection Of

Abstract This paper contributes to the literature on the gender wage gap by empirically analyzing those workers who hold the highest possible educational qualification, i.e., a Ph.D. The analysis relies on recent Italian cross-sectional data collected through a survey on the employment conditions of Ph.D. holders. The Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition analysis and quantile decomposition analysis are carried out, and the selection of Ph.D. holders into employment and STEM/non-STEM fields of specialization is taken into account. Findings suggest that a gender gap in hourly wages exists among Ph.D. holders, with sizeable differences by sector of employment and field of specialization.

Download Full-text

Participation in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Results in Higher Grades in the Companion Lecture Course

Educational Researcher ◽

10.3102/0013189x20968097 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 0013189X2096809

Author(s):

Marsha Ing ◽

James M. Burnette ◽

Tarek Azzam ◽

Susan R. Wessler

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Undergraduate Research ◽

Public Institutions ◽

Research Experience ◽

Stem Fields ◽

Academic Characteristics ◽

Course Grades ◽

Undergraduate Science ◽

Hispanic Serving ◽

The Impact

Opportunities for large numbers of undergraduates to engage in authentic research experiences are limited in many large public institutions. These large public institutions serve the vast majority of students who are historically underrepresented in STEM fields, such as first-generation, low-income students of color. Although a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) is one scalable approach to providing such opportunities, there is limited evidence about the impact of participation, particularly for students historically underrepresented in science. This study provides evidence of the influence of student participation in a CURE on undergraduate science course grades using an experimental design and multiple years of data from students at a Hispanic-serving institution. Course grades were compared for five different science courses across five cohorts of students participating in a CURE ( n = 935) and a similar group of students who did not participate in the CURE ( n = 1,144). CURE students had significantly higher overall grades in a lecture course directly related to the CURE even after statistically adjusting for demographic and academic characteristics. Implications for CUREs as a model for improving science knowledge and achievement for students typically underrepresented in STEM fields are discussed.

Download Full-text