Women's participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses and careers lags behind that of men. Multiple factors contribute to the underrepresentation of women and girls in STEM. Academic research suggests three areas, which account for the under representation of girls in STEM: social and environmental factors, the school climate and the influence of bias. In order to engage and to retain girls in STEM, educators need to: eliminate bias in the classroom, change school culture, introduce female role models, help girls assess their abilities accurately and develop talent in areas related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Educators should encourage young girls to ask questions about the world, to problem solve, and to develop creativity through play and experimentation. Women have made impressive gains in science and engineering but remain a distinct minority in many science and engineering fields. Creating environments that support girls' and women's achievements and interests in science and engineering will encourage more girls and women to pursue careers in these vital fields.
Gaps in STEM performance have narrowed over the last 50 years (Leaper et al., 2012; National Science Foundation, 2013). Nonetheless, disparities remain in many STEM fields – with the largest occurring in the physical sciences, computer science, and engineering (UNESCO., 2012). Although gender gaps in science and math performance have been closing, gaps in STEM self-concept and aspirations continue. We investigated academically advanced 12–13 year-old students’ sense of belonging to STEM disciplines and examined the relationship among STEM sense of belonging, STEM classroom/peer climate, amount of STEM exposure, and the strength of self-identification with STEM. Although previous research established that features of the STEM classroom/peer climate can promote as well as detract from underrepresented students’ interest and retention in STEM (Riegle-Crumb et al., 2006; Roberts et al., 2018; Stake & Nickens, 2005), less is known about constructs that underlie STEM sense of belonging. Our results indicated no significant difference in STEM sense of belonging between academically advanced females and males. However, there is a statistically significant interaction between gender and self-identification with STEM. Key predictors of STEM sense of belonging identified by our regression model include classroom/peer climate and STEM self-identification.
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