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…

There is a longstanding imperative from both government and industry for a workforce with the skills needed to drive forward the scientific and technological advances that are considered so crucial to the economic prosperity of the nation. However, the skills of this workforce have purportedly been both in short supply and inadequate for many…

The national conversation about STEM education continues. While math and science have been a constant in K-12 and higher education, curriculum in technology and engineering have not been consistently part of the tapestry of American education. As such, there is a dearth of qualified candidates for the ever-growing number of computer science and…

There are well documented differences in gendered participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields across cultures and societies. Gender inequality in STEM reveals itself in global pay gaps and minority underrepresentation. Previous research has found that student attitudes towards career fields are rooted in their…

The "leaky pipeline" metaphor describes the greater likelihood of women and girls leaving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields at every point, relative to men and boys. Gender disparities occur both in recruitment--that is, who chooses to enter a STEM pathway--as well as retention--that is, who chooses to…

Underrepresentation of females in college science, technology, engineering, and math impacts college graduation rates, pay disparity of females, and the local and global workforce. Research offers one concept, sense of belonging, as vital to motivation of and persistence in major. To address a sense of belonging for this population, some…

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…

Role model interventions are often designed to foster students' pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We hypothesize that role model interventions might also unintentionally shape students' beliefs concerning the broader social system--their ideologies--leading them to view the (inequitable) status quo in…

It is urgent to ensure that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education meets the needs of our nation's increasingly diverse student population. This study examined whether a second-grade science program, Scientific Explorers, supported educational equity in STEM achievement for diverse student populations. Sociodemographic…

Nerd-genius stereotypes about people in the physical sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pSTEM) are barriers to getting many adolescent girls interested in pSTEM. Endorsing these stereotypes may undermine youths' pSTEM identity especially when they are incongruent with their self-concepts--possibly more likely for girls than boys.…

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…

Background: STEM education providers increasingly use complex intervention models to redress persistent under-representation in STEM sectors. These intervention models require robust evaluation to determine their effectiveness. The study examines a complex, sustained intervention intended to build science capital in young people aged 11-15 over…

Women and people of color continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), even while STEM fields are faced with recruitment issues and shortages of workers. Mathematics textbooks may be complicit in this issue, with past research indicating that textbooks are not fairly representing women and people of…

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…

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…