Postsecondary Teaching, Doctoral Training, and “Women’s Work” in STEM: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Gendered Experiences in Teaching Development Programs

• In Event: The Effects of Teaching Development Programs on Doctoral Students in STEM

Abstract

Drawing on scholarship showing women to be underrepresented among STEM PhDs but often overrepresented in lower-status teaching and outreach activities, this study addressed three research questions: (1) Do women participate in TD at higher levels than men? (2) What are women’s reasons for participating in, and self-reported gains from, their TD experiences? (3) What do women’s perceptions of their TD experiences, and teaching’s status during their doctoral studies, tell us about gendered divisions of labor in postsecondary STEM fields?

For this paper, we used Holland et al.’s (1998) theory on identity and “figured worlds” to help explore the tensions between research- and teaching-related goals of women doctoral students. Although this paper includes a quantitative analysis of men and women’s engagement levels in TD programming, the qualitative analysis used a phenomenological approach (Moustakas, 1994) to study women participants’ shared experiences in TD activities during their doctoral studies.

We used two primary sources of data in this study. One was the LSFSS Year 1 survey administered in 2009. (see paper 1 by Connolly et al.). These survey data showed that across three research universities, women reported engaging in TD programs at higher levels than men. This finding mirrors other research showing women overrepresented in postsecondary teaching and outreach activities, so-called “nurturing” positions in academia which traditionally offer less status, recognition, and monetary rewards (Carrigan, Quinn, & Riskin, 2011; Park 1996; Thiry, Laursen, & Liston, 2007).

From Year 1 survey respondents, we selected a subset of 75 people who had (1) completed their doctorate, (2) were employed at a postsecondary institution, and (3) had participated in some kind of doctoral teaching development. Between March 2010 and October 2011, 33 women in this subsample were interviewed about their TD experiences and transition into academic careers. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Moustakas’ (1994) framework of horizontalization, meaning clustering, and theme building.

We found that women in departments with little to no teacher-training spoke to the opportunities TD activities offered them. Of the variety of reasons for seeking more teaching experience and knowledge, many spoke of their desire to foster connections, both interpersonal and interdisciplinary, outside the confines of traditional departmental research groups. TD offered graduate students a community of students and faculty members through which they cultivated scientific identities more in line with their values. In contrast, a number of participants described STEM departments in which teaching was considered a roadblock to research effectiveness, so much so that the research skills of students interested in spending time on teaching activities were suspect.

These findings not only speak to the important role that teaching-focused professional development activities play for women doctoral students in STEM majors, but also shed light on broader factors (including academic reward structures and the increasing number of adjunct faculty in postsecondary teaching positions) that influence how teaching is valued in the preparation of future faculty.

Authors

• Ross Benbow, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Mark R. Connolly, University of Wisconsin - Madison