Background: The community cultural wealth (CCW) theoretical framework recognizes the assets of oppressed communities. Within the framework, aspirational capital refers to the hope to achieve in the face of systemic barriers, while navigational capital includes tactics engaged to progress within institutions that were not designed for equitable…

This article illustrates the potential for hackathons to serve as an innovative educational tool in addressing the underrepresentation of minority communities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Using Merced, California--a region recognised for its agricultural economy, socioeconomic disparities, and diverse…

This article seeks to understand women's underrepresentation in STEM professions by investigating the educational factors contributing to female students' identity development. The current study undertakes a comparative approach between STEM, and the most popular field of study with women, Management and Commerce. Data were collected from a…

Asian(American) physics students lack ample representation in physics identity studies and in the broader science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sociological literature. This may be due to their perceived overrepresentation, the "model minority" myth, or their treatment as monolithic. These misconceptions obscure the…

Background: The analogy of the leaky pipeline has been used to describe STEM education, with lower student diversity from compulsory to post-compulsory education and beyond. Although extensive research has explored the views and experiences of school-aged children about STEM, fewer studies have examined the career intentions of STEM students at…

There are fewer doctoral degrees earned by women than men in many STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, and gender gaps in higher education pathways persist. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and understand the experiences and persistence of women Ph.D. students in male-dominated STEM…

There have been significant strides towards diversifying STEM majors to include more students of color and women. With current and anticipated future technological advances, the United States must prepare as many students as possible to become leaders in STEM fields. Despite significant strides, women of color, specifically Black and Latina women,…

Our co-authored research 'Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention for Women as STEM Majors' analyzed factors that contributed to the retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Women make up half of the US population, and…

Our co-authored research 'Steminism: Analyzing Factors That Improve Retention for Women as STEM Majors' analyzed factors that contributed to the retention of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs at Missouri University of Science & Technology (Missouri S&T). Women make up half of the US population, and…

In the 21st century, the exponential growth of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and the corresponding critical need for STEM graduates in the profession have both outpaced the number of STEM graduates joining the workforce. This is a global problem, one to which the U.S. can relate. A literature review of research…

Impostorism is a psychological phenomenon characterized by persistent self-doubt and a fear of being exposed as an intellectual fraud, despite objective records of success. This phenomenon was first observed among high achieving women. The current study investigated impostorism among graduate women in science, technology, engineering, and…

Contribution: This research examines undergraduate students' perceptions in engineering disciplines toward gender inclusivity in course curricula, focusing on three essential pillars of curricular design: course content, teaching methodology, and course assessment. Background: The shortage of women representation in STEM fields, particularly in…

Background: The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains a persistent international challenge with complex causes. This study draws on five complementary theoretical perspectives--theory of circumscription and compromise, situated expectancy-value theory, the internal/external frame of…

The study investigates a tension between affirmative action scholars who hypothesize that affirmative action bans would increase underrepresented minority students' STEM college completions and scholars who have empirically estimated declines. It also questions results that that find no existence of a STEM penalty (compared to non-STEM) caused by…

Low interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) among high school students in general and women in particular is a highly prevalent phenomenon in many industrialized countries. This study analyses whether study counselling--guiding students to select a major in higher education through self-exploration and fostering their…