Being a Woman Across STEM Programs: Navigating Through a Foggy Institutional Climate

• In Event: Chilean Students' Experiences of Higher Education in Disruptive Times

Abstract

In the last decade, there has been growing interest in researching the experience of undergraduate female students in STEM degrees (Ro, Fernandez, & Ramon, 2021). Evidence shows that women studying undergraduate degrees in STEM fields encounter additional challenges in their higher education, including cultural and psychological barriers and a "chilly" and unwelcoming climate from teachers and peers (e.g., Saucerman & Vasquez, 2014). However, there is still scarce evidence on how different types of institutions may shape their experience or how their experiences may vary with varying percentages of female students in their graduating class. This article aims to explore the experiences of female students in diverse STEM undergraduate programs.
Drawing on the conceptual lens of student experience and ecological models (Jones, 2018), we conducted and analyzed 19 Interviews and 12 focus groups in eight higher education institutions. The selected institutions varied in type and selectivity. In terms of type, six are universities, and two are vocational-technical centers and professional institutes. Selectivity was measured according to the national university admissions test score. Thus, we labeled each institution as open-access (4), mid-tier (2), or top-tier (2). In total, 79 undergraduate female students from STEM disciplines. To account for the degree of women's participation, we also classified each program according to the percentage of women enrolled in the year of the fieldwork (2019), following Centola et al. findings regarding the 25% tipping point for social change (2018).
Results show commonalities regarding the motivations to choose STEM degrees, experiences of social isolation, and a foggy and gendered social climate. Across all institutions, despite only a few students have experienced discrimination or abuse from teachers or students, most have heard rumors and gossips, which add tension and uncertainties to the social environment around them. This "fog" delimits their actions and relationship with peers and faculty, which in turn could truncate their identity development within the STEM field. We also found differences in their experiences based on institutional characteristics and women's participation in the program. For instance, the influence of faculty and peers is more significant for females in open-access institutions. In contrast, the influence of the study program and future STEM aspirations seems stronger for females in top-tier programs. Addressing the impact of institutions and specific STEM programs is relevant for national and institutional policies that promote female enrollment in STEM, a positive student experience, and a smooth transition to the workforce.

References

Centola, D., Becker, J., Brackbill, D., & Baronchelli, A. (2018). Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention. Science, 360(6393), 1116–1119.

Jones, R. (2018). The student experience of undergraduate students: towards a conceptual framework, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 42(8), 1040-1054, doi: 10.1080/0309877X.2017.1349882

Ro, H.K., Fernandez, F., & Ramon, E.J. (2021). Gender Equity in STEM in Higher Education: International Perspectives on Policy, Institutional Culture, and Individual Choice. New York, NY: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003053217

Saucerman, J., & K. Vasquez. 2014. Psychological barriers to STEM participation for women over the course of development. Adultspan Journal 13 (1):46–64. doi:10.1002/adsp.2014.13.issue-1.

Authors

• Sergio Celis, Universidad de Chile

• Maria Lopez, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

• Catalina Ximena Moraga Prieto