In this article, Dr. Nilanjana Dasgupta shares her research on how female role models and peers can inoculate female STEM students against some of the factors that can push women out of STEM programs. She points to research showing that: 1) Female STEM teachers can act as female role models that enhance the positive attitudes women and girls hold towards STEM; 2) Reading success stories of female role models in STEM can have the same positive impact on female students; 3) Ideal female role models are easy to relate to and have success stories that feel achievable; 4) Peer mentors – regardless of gender – can boost self-confidence, performance expectations, and career aspirations of first year female college students; 5) Assigning female STEM students – especially beginning students – to work on teams that are at least half women can help female students feel less anxious, more confident, and more committed to a STEM career than women on a team that is over 50% male; and, 6) Timing is critical when it comes to these types of interventions. Research suggests that first-year female STEM students benefit more from female role models than women further along in their STEM studies. Dr. Dasgupta gives specific recommendations on how to put this research into practice in the STEM classroom in the full article.
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Dasgupta, N. (2015). Role models and peers as a social vaccine to enhance women's self-concept in STEM. The American Society for Cell Biology. Retrieved from http://www.ascb.org/role-models-and-peers-as-a-social-vaccine-to-enhance-womens-self-concept-in-stem/ |
Five bright female engineering students reveal that they're "tired of fighting" to fit into male-dominated classes that often feel hostile. Learn about recommended support strategies when there are very few women.
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Bennett, Dorothy, "Voices of Young Women in Engineering", Center for Children and Technology Reports (4) May 1996. |
Why do women leave the science pipeline? This guide recommends concrete strategies to keep female college students coming back to science classes.
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"Achieving Gender Equity in Science Classrooms: A Guide for Faculty," Office of the Dean of the College at Brown University, 1996. |
Preliminary data from an NSF study of universities identifies four common factors across institutions that correlate with high retention rates of women in engineering programs. This poster displays the findings.
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Creamer, Dr. Elizabeth, Burger, Dr. Carol and Meszaros, Dr. Peggy S., "A Cross-Institutional Compairson of Elements of College Culture That Promote Women's Interest in Engineering at the Undergraduate Level," NSF Human Resources Division Annual Meeting, 2007. NSF Project in Process. |
This long-term study of more than 50 undergraduate engineering programs examined women's experiences and persistence. Discover the importance of Women in Engineering programs on campus and other tools to increase retention rates of women.
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Goodman, Irene and Christine Cunningham, "Final Report of the Women's Experiences in College Engineering (WECE) Project," Goodman Research Group, April 2002. |
