Exploring the experiences and persistence of women in undergraduate mathematics and statistics programs
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Women's enrollment in collegiate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs is low, and of the few who enter these programs, research shows they are at least 1.5 times more likely to leave the field than their male peers (Ellis et al., 2016). Various factors have been identified as reasons why women leave math-intensive STEM majors (e.g., mathematics, statistics). Focusing, instead, on women who have continued into the upper levels of their STEM majors, what factors explain their persistence? Through student surveys and focus group interviews, this study extends existing research by exploring the experiences and persistence factors of women who continue in mathematics or statistics majors beyond introductory calculus courses to understand what, according to them, contributed to their decision to continue. Findings include that undergraduate women in mathematics or statistics view their academic development factors as more influential to their persistence than was their social support. This preference stems from their satisfaction with academic development factors (e.g., quality of instruction, internship opportunities) compared to social support factors (e.g., study groups, faculty-student interaction). The findings suggest the need for universities, colleges, and academic departments to continue to implement policies and strategies that support women's academic growth while also addressing their social support experiences to improve retention for more women in these STEM fields.
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Ph. D