Lessons for Educational Practice and Policy From a National Survey of LGBTQ Individuals in STEM

• In Event: LGBT Inclusion in STEM: Transformative Possibilities for Teaching and Learning Research

Abstract

This paper reports findings from a national study examining how queer individuals navigate academic and professional lives in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. The portrait of participants developed through the study illustrates how queer identit(ies) impact study and work in STEM fields based on diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, individual measures of advancement and productivity in STEM fields, geographic location, and perceptions of educational and career environments.

Pragmatic mixed methods approaches to study design and data collection were utilized to conduct an interdisciplinary examination of the interplay of individual identity characteristics with broader socio-cultural norms of behavior and communication in particular STEM fields. Considerations of the ways in which ontological and epistemological approaches emphasized in particular areas of STEM research and professional work interacted with queer individuals’ perceptions of self and others were also centrally positioned.

Data were collected in phases: 1) administration of an online survey, distributed through social media networks and professional listservs. Over 1300 respondents completed the online survey 2) Participants who elected to provide an email address were contacted individually and invited to answer ten open-ended questions. Approximately 150 responses were received. 3) 60 participants who responded to the email questions were invited to participate in an individual interview. Quantitative analyses included descriptive statistics of the total respondent sample and correlation tests that examined relationships between demographic data, field of study, and perceptions of academic or professional climate as welcoming or hostile. The written responses to email questions and verbatim transcripts of interviews were analyzed qualitatively using a cross-comparative iterative approach. An initial coding framework was constructed using the open-response questions and the semi-structured interview protocol and further expanded using inductive analysis.

Survey respondents were from all U.S. regions, with the greatest number of responses from the Pacific West. More participants identified as female than male, and a significant number (over 10%) of individuals identified as trans*, androgynous, or genderqueer. Most survey participants were between ages 20 and 40, with interview participants skewing older. Over half of respondents have completed a Ph.D. or are currently working towards a doctorate or professional degree. Based on inductive examination of the qualitative open response data collected from a sample of the overall survey respondents, we developed a framework categorizing external and internal influences on identity. These factors include: a) the social influence of other STEM academics and professionals, b) the social influence of other queer communities, c) internal assessment of identity, skills, and career goals, and d) specific factors influencing individual experience such as race/ethnicity, religion, and institutional policy and practice.

This is one of the first comprehensive national surveys of LGBTQ individuals involved in advanced study or professional positions across STEM fields. We hope this provides a baseline set of data that can be built upon and expanded by other scholars. Further, by documenting both the positive and negative experiences of queer people in STEM fields, educational institutions can learn what practices are most important in creating inclusive environments that support learning and professional productivity.

Author

• Allison Mattheis, California State University - Los Angeles