This study presents the recollections of 12 successful women in science during their school years before postsecondary education. The participants shared detailed descriptions of their science experiences through three semi-structured interviews. An identity works conceptual framework consisting of figured worlds, positioning, and agency…

Drawing on a social identity framework of mathematical development, the authors present a model, Improving Girls' Math Identity (IGMI), designed to address two key "leaks" in the female STEM pipeline: undergraduate and middle school. IGMI involves a supportive professional development network for undergraduate women preparing to…

As societal needs change and STEM solutions are offered, an increasing concern for the participation of girls in STEM has emerged. Research has consistently shown the unintended preferential treatment of boys by teachers during STEM teaching and, although well recognised, has seen limited change over the past decades. Gendered interactions,…

Students' self-efficacy, interest, and perceived recognition from others in a given field have been shown to be very important for the development of their identity in that field, which is a critical predictor of students' major and career decisions. Prior research suggests that students' self-efficacy and interest play an important role in their…

The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are being refined to prepare learners for 21st-century careers. The jobs in the STEM fields are on the rise, but there is still a lack of representation of women in these fields. Gender stereotypes and biased viewpoints on gender may prevent female interest and success in STEM…

This article reports on an ethnographic study to understand the practices of sexuality education (SE) in relation to what young girls want to learn in a primary school Ethiopia. This is done by means of school observations, FGD with female students and interviews with SE teachers. The study shows the observed SE focuses mainly on issues of…

The gender dimension of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) has intrigued social scientists for a long time. Although in India, women's entry to STEM higher education has been improving over the last few decades, the reality of premier institutions remains broadly unaltered. The current qualitative research was an attempt: (a)…

Societal stereotypes and biases about who belongs in physics and who can excel in it can impact the physics beliefs, including their self-efficacy, interest, and identity, e.g., of women in physics courses. Exploring these beliefs longitudinally and analyzing how different beliefs predict students' physics identity are important for developing a…

Gender bias, reduced sense of belonging, and lower physics self-efficacy are among the challenges faced by women who choose to study physics. Prior studies focusing on this underrepresented group have examined the experiences and impacts of formal educational settings, leaving the impact of informal physics programs, frequently called outreach…

Politicians, legislators, and educational policy decision-makers are in agreement with education scholars that the enrichment and productivity of creative businesses, technological innovations, medical advancements, and a sustained global competitiveness are contingent on a nation acquiring a robust STEM-ready workforce. The problem addressed in…

In this paper we describe our investigation of underrepresented high school students' interests, engagement, and experiences in design-based Information and Communications Technology (ICT) summer workshop activities; with the goal of identifying activities, aspects, and/or elements of the program that can be tailored or improved upon to attract,…

Young Black women face dual marginality in the classroom due to longstanding racial and gender stereotypes. However, critical examinations of their academic dispositions remain relatively absent from current discourse on Black student achievement. The mathematics dispositions of Black girls (N = 1707) who completed the High School Longitudinal…

In the last decades, developed economies have witnessed significant declines in wages for low-skill workers, increases in employment in high-skill occupations, rapid diffusion of new technology, and expanding offshoring opportunities. Labor markets in developed countries have reallocated labor from manual to cognitive jobs and from routine to…

Female students continue to lag behind their male counterparts in STEM degree attainment despite performing as well as boys in mathematics and science in high school. Female students who expressed interest in mathematics and science may opt out of majoring in STEM once in college. Given that women may not be perceived as mathematics doers, this…

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are considered catalysts for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet, particularly for STEM fields, girls and women, for a multitude of social, cultural and psychological reasons, engage and participate at a lower rate than boys and men. This research…