The Shaping of Talent Perceptions in Mathematics-Intensive Sciences Through the College Experience

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Documenting Stories of Historical and Structural Disparities in Multiple Contexts

Abstract

Do college students, especially women and underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students, believe that they must be talented to participate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields? This qualitative study uses interview data from 24 diverse seniors who majored in mathematics-intensive STEM fields for at least two semesters to investigate this question. The data show that the college experience shapes the following STEM-related ability perceptions: that science is solely for the talented and the importance of one’s own innate ability in completing difficult, college-level work. However, the college experience alone did not solely influence these beliefs. Participants’ gender and racial identity, socio-economic status, and immigrant experiences informed the development of these beliefs and their choices to persist in STEM fields.

Author

• Samantha Nix, Florida State University