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Thesis
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: Women And Minorities As The Building Blocks Of Our Future
University of West Florida Libraries
Master of Arts (MA), University of West Florida
Summer 2022
Abstract
Many STEM fields are faced with an increasing talent gap that is especially large among women and members of racio-ethnic minority groups that often opt out of STEM in early college years. Drawing from Social Cognitive Career theory (SCCT), this study applied a gender and racio-ethnicity lens to add to existing literature on STEM retention in two ways: (1) by exploring gender and racio-ethnicity-based differences in supports and barriers, and (2) by testing a mediated process to explain how self-efficacy may impact intentions to persist. One hundred undergraduate STEM students completed an online survey. In contrast to prior research, this study did not find significant gender and racio-ethnic differences in supports and barriers. This may have been partly due to the success of prior interventions aimed at increasing the representation of women and minorities at the organization sampled. The hypothesized mediation model was significant. Self-efficacy fully mediated the relationship of supports and barriers on intentions to persist identifying low levels of self-efficacy as a significant barrier to STEM persistence. Results are in line with SCCT and previous research in corroborating the effect of self-efficacy for students’ intentions to persist in STEM majors and highlight the crucial importance of developing interventions to increase self-efficacy as a precondition to positively impact intentions to persist. Future research calls for investigating different STEM fields separately, capitalizing on longitudinal data, exploring differences based on educational levels, and examining the impact of cultural influences to garner additional insights.
Details
- Title
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Contributors
- Valerie Morganson (Advisor)Steven Kass (Advisor)
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 85
- Copyright
- Permission granted to the University of West Florida Libraries to digitize and/or display this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires the permission of the copyright holder.
- Identifiers
- 99380092697006600
- Academic Unit
- Psychology; Usha Kundu, MD College of Health
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Master of Arts (MA)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), University of West Florida