A Case Study of MotherScholar Faculty Members in STEM

• In Event: Institutional Culture for Women in STEM

Abstract

Women faculty members in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines have historically been underrepresented. They are also less likely than their colleagues in other fields to have children, making mother faculty members in STEM an even smaller, more underrepresented group. Understanding how these MotherScholars have persisted through tenure, will increase the knowledge base of MotherScholars’ success in STEM fields. The case study was focused on five MotherScholars in STEM and explored the ways in which being a mother impacted MotherScholars in STEM. The findings, which were framed using Expectancy-Value Theory (Eccles et al., 1983) and the related implications are discussed.

Authors

• Jessica L Spott, Texas Tech University

• Kamau Siwatu, Texas Tech University