Women in STEM Areas: Exploring Their Experiences, Understanding Their Journey

• In Event: Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Postsecondary STEM 3

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of five female community college transfer students in STEM majors. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with five female community college transfer students in STEM majors at a mid-western university. The data were analyzed in two phases. First, a narrative approach was used to tell each participant’s individual story and to uncover subtle nuances in order to gain a deeper understanding of how female transfer students described their overall socialization experiences. Second, themes were developed across all five individual interviews. Three themes emerged from the female transfer students’ stories and includes: (a) support systems: family, faculty and advisors, (b) academic preparation, and (c) involvement.

Author

• Dimitra Lynette Jackson, Texas Tech University