The demise of guys : the flight of the American male from STEM

Abstract

This mixed methods research investigates the differences between high school males who pursue the PLTW Biomedical Science program and those males who do not. The study examines males in a rural Midwestern high school, analyzing factors such as GPA, sports, clubs, work, volunteering, and whether at least one parent attended college. It also looks at how high school male students perceive the PLTW Biomedical Science program. The focus is to understand why few males enroll in the program. A survey constructed by the researcher is administered to gather quantitative data related to the previously mentioned factors. Pearson's Chi-square analysis further tests for statistical significance among the two groups of males. Additional qualitative data via interviews is collected from among the non-biomed males. The study found biomed males to have a greater GPA, participation in sports, and were more likely to work than their non-biomed counterparts. The non-biomed males were more likely to have at least one parent attend college. Participation in clubs and volunteering was not statistically significant. The perception of PLTW Biomedical Science program among non-biomed males is positive. Students feel as though their friends like the courses and talk about what a neat program it is. The non-biomed males interviewed for this study simply report not having interest in biomedicine as the main reason they did not join the program. They also reported male brains are wired differently, males are less mature than their female counterparts, and the program should be advertised as being "fun" in order to attract more males to the program.