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ERIC Number: EJ1472361
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Dec
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1381-2890
EISSN: EISSN-1573-1928
Available Date: 2025-05-28
Seeing Women Who Fit: Girls' Forecasted Fit in STEM Fosters Career Interest
Emily N. Cyr1; Steven J. Spencer2; Stephen C. Wright3; Jennifer R. Steele1; Kathryn M. Kroeper4; Patricia Colaco1; Tara C. Dennehy5; Priscilla Lok-Chee Shum3; Taylor Ballinger2; Haemi Nam2; Stephanie L. Reeves2; Mary Wells6; Toni Schmader5; Hilary B. Bergsieker6
Social Psychology of Education: An International Journal, v28 n1 Article 112 2025
Girls often express less interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education and careers than boys, despite having comparable aptitude. We randomly assigned 242 girls (Mdn[subscript age] = 12 years; 38% East Asian; 37% White) at Canadian STEM camps to control conversations about generic camp experiences, or intervention conversations where STEM role models discussed how STEM education and careers align with each girl's most important value and emphasized the social community inside and outside of STEM. Key measures were collected at baseline, and several days after the intervention (or control). Girls' "current" STEM fit did not differ by condition, but as expected, the intervention (vs. control) significantly improved girls' forecasts regarding "future" STEM fit (ds = 0.27-0.35) and girls' interest in STEM careers (d = 0.42), with a marginally significant boost in girls' interest in STEM high school classes (d = 0.23). Pre-post increases in forecasted STEM fit mediated increases in STEM interest. Forecasted fit (beyond current fit) appears pivotal for promoting girls' sustained interest in STEM.
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1York University, Toronto, Canada; 2The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA; 3Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada; 4Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, USA; 5University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; 6University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada