Why Do Women Persist To Enter A STEM

There are many reasons why women persist to be in a collegiate STEM program. Most of the literature review drew upon three factors: academic preparation & self-confidence, cultural perspectives, and career/life balance perspectives. This review will also look at undergraduate women’s decision-making processes with respect to major field of study and career direction with the help of Tobin’s (2010) General Expected Values Model. All three of these perspectives is to show how overall, they impact a women’s decision considering a major in STEM fields and continuing to enter a STEM career.

Academic Preparation and Self Confidence Academic preparation and self-confidence looks at the impact of classes taken by the student and whether or not advanced

Rask (2010) found that at a selective northeastern liberal arts college, females’ decisions to persist in STEM field majors were less sensitive to grades than male students. However, Ost (2010) found that, at a large, elite, private, research university, females’ persistence decisions were more sensitive to grades in the physical sciences than their male counterparts.

In summary, women and men have had equal access to academic preparation in math and science in order for them to succeed in a STEM major. In the past decade, we can see that having equal access was a major push for women. Women see themselves doing well in math as a talent and helps them to persist in a STEM major. Even when they have the right idea in mind that their ultimate goal is to help others it becomes distant when women find their self- confidence going down when they are struggle with a STEM introductory course.

Cultural

Modi, K., Schoenerg, J., & Salmond, K. (2012) studied adolescent girls’ perceptions of STEM and found a strong interest in science and math in this age group but little interest in STEM as a career. Thus, already by the middle school years, parity in academic capability and interests in math and science does not lead to equivalent interest in these fields as career opportunities.

Women appear to be influenced by role models, such as peers, and other female classmates and female faculty more so than their male counterparts. Price (2010) found that female instructors had a positive impact on choice of major for female students, supporting a role model influence. Accordingly, Milgram (2011) argued for increasing the number of professional STEM women role models to help strengthen the vision of successful women in STEM careers.

Kerr, B., Multon, K., Syme, M., Fry, N., Owens, R., Hammond, M., (2012) introduced social status and prestige into the discussion. Kerr, et al theorized that a person’s social status and prestige environment are effective predictors of women’s persistence in STEM fields. Women that feel themselves removed from the centers of power in STEM studies are less likely to persist. Kerr et al. indicated that social capital (e.g., well connected networking) was as important as financial