33. Gender and Education
Paper
Gender Differences in STEM Field in Higher Education: The Relationship Between Gender, Motivation and Exhaustion
Iva Odak, Branislava Baranović, Dora Petrović
Institute for social research, Croatia
Presenting Author: Odak, Iva;
Baranović, Branislava
According to the Gender Equality Index (2023), European countries will increase the demand for individuals educated in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Despite progress in gender equality, women are still underrepresented in this field across Europe, including Croatia. The gender gap is particularly apparent in the area of information and communication technology education at university level, where there are almost four times more male than female graduates (Eurostat, 2023). In Croatia, 29 % female students and 71% male students study in Engineering field (Croatian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). Since the study fields differ in terms of prestige and economic rewards, this gender differentiation in higher education limits women's opportunities in the labour markets and contributes to the reproduction of gender inequalities. The increased demand for STEM-educated individuals led to the need of encouraging girls to pursue a career and education in this field. This is a problem which has been addressed by policy makers and explored by researchers. Studies point out that there are many factors relevant for explaining why girls and boys differ in their choices of secondary schools and university study fields. They range from studies that explore intersectional structural, cultural and gender effects on girls' and boys' secondary school choices and achievements, gendered support of families, and the institutional structure of secondary and higher education (Reimer and Polack, 2010; Barone, 2011; Reay, 1998). For our research it is important to mention psychological studies that point to motivational variables as significant factors that influence the gendered educational choices and students’ experiences. Of particular importance are studies based on Eccles at al.'s expectancy-value theory (1983; 2020), which emphasizes the effects of motivation situated in the social and cultural context of students, enabling thus a more comprehensive explanation of why girls less likely than boys choose STEM subjects and fields. Croatian studies also confirm gender divide by field of study at both secondary and higher education levels (Baranović, 2011; Jugović, 2015; Košutić et al., 2015). Recent studies focused on exploring the effects of the sociocultural and economic context complemented by Eccles at al.'s expectancy-value theory have highlighted the relevance of examining the role of motivation for the educational choices and achievements of girls in a gender atypical field of study, such as STEM education. (Jugović, 2015; Jugović and Baranović, 2023). Drawing on Eccles at al.'s situated expectancy-value theory (2020), this paper aims at exploring gender differences in study experiences and in motivation of students to study at the faculty in the STEM field. Besides students’ study motivation, we analysed the burnout of the students in relation to students’ gender. Burnout is becoming a prominent topic in the academic context, with serious consequences for students’ mental health and academic achievement (e.g. Madigan & Curran, 2021; Naderi et al., 2021). To understand student burnout symptoms, gender is a key factor, with female students feeling more exhausted than their male peers (Fiorilli et al., 2022). However, there is a scarce evidence on understanding the factors explaining gender differences in burnout experience, especially from motivational perspective. In the framework of job demands and resources theory (Bakker et al., 2023), intrinsic motivation is recognized as a protective factor against burnout (Sabagh et al., 2018). Taking together theoretical framework of situated expectancy value theory (Eccles & Wigfield, 2020) and job demands and resources theory (Bakker et al., 2023), we had two objectives in the study. The first objective was to examine gender differences in different aspects of student motivation for studying in the traditionally male study field. The second objective was to test whether intrinsic motivation for studying explains gender differences in experiencing exhaustion.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe data was collected using quantitative research methodology, which included the implementation of an online questionnaire filled out by students of one large faculty in the STEM field in Zagreb, Croatia. The research was conducted in December 2023., and the students accessed the questionnaire via email link they received from the faculty staff. A total of 554 students, from all study years, answered the online questionnaire, with gender distribution being 67% male and 32% female students, which is representative of the population regarding gender structure. The questionnaire contained questions about sociodemographic characteristics of the students, their experience of studying and living and working alongside their studies. We measured three motivational subjective task values variables: intrinsic value, utility value and expectancy value. Intrinsic value was measured with three questions related to intrinsic interest for choosing the study programme; utility value was measured with three questions related to external motivation for choosing the study filed, e.g. financial benefits, employment opportunities. Expectancy value was operationalised with one question measuring the expectancy of success in completing the studies. Exhaustion was measured with an eight-question exhaustion subscale from burnout assessment tool (BAT, Schaufeli et al., 2020). Reliability of all scales was adequate, ranging from 0,68 to 0,91. We tested gender differences in intrinsic value, utility value and expectancy value using ANOVA. T-test for dependant samples was used to test differences between before-mentioned types of motivation among subsamples of female and male students, respectively. Additionally, we tested simple mediation model with gender as a predictor, exhaustion as a criterion and intrinsic value as a mediator, using Process in SPSS IBM (Hayes, 2022).
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsFemale students had higher utility value (F(2, 362)=4.64, p<0.01) and lower intrinsic value (F(2, 361)=5.00, p<0.01) than male students, but they did not differ in expectancy value (F(2, 364)=1.31, p>0.05). Levels of different types of motivation significantly differed among female students. Utility value was the dominant motivation type (M=4.4), following with intrinsic value (M=3.9), and the lowest levels of expectancy value (M=3.7). On the other hand, male students reported of equally high utility (M=4.19) and intrinsic value (M=4.24), but of significantly lower level of expectancy value (M=3.76). Mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between gender and exhaustion may be explained with intrinsic value (ind=0.05, 95%CI [.009 – 0.112]). Female students were less intrinsically motivated for studying in this field than male students (a=-0.21, p<0.01), which was related with higher levels of exhaustion (b=-0.26, p<0.01). Direct effect of gender on exhaustion was also significant (c=0.39, p<0.01), indicating that there are other factors explaining gender differences in exhaustion, along with intrinsic value. These results are in line with the previous research of gender differences in motivation in the STEM field and burnout. Also, as the results confirm that female students feel more exhausted than their male peers, it is important to encourage girls’ intrinsic motivation for the study as it can ameliorate the risk of experiencing burnout symptoms. In the light of these results, it is important to encourage girls’ intrinsic motivation for choosing education and career in STEM, in order to support their academic and career achievement, as well as their psychological wellbeing.
ReferencesBakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job Demands-Resources Theory: Ten Years Later. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 25-53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933
Baranović, B. (2015). Development and social dimension of higher education in Croatia. In: B. Baranović (ed.) What Do High School Students Plan to study? – Access To Higher Education and Choice of Study. Zagreb: Institute for Social Research – Zagreb.
Barone, C. (2011). Some things never change. Gender segregation in higher education across eight nations and three decades. Sociology of education, 84. (2):157-176.
Croatian Bureau of Statistics (2023) Women and Men in Croatia. Zagreb.
Eccles, J. S. & Wigfield, A. (2020). From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: A developmental, social cognitive, and sociocultural perspective on motivation. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61(4), 101859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101859.
Eurostat (2023). Key figures on Europe 2023 edition. European Union.
EIGE, (2023). Gender Equality Index 2023. Towards a green transition in transport and energy, Publications Office of the European Union.
Fiorilli, C., Barni, D., Russo, C., Marchetti, V., Angelini, G., & Romano, L. (2022). Students’ Burnout at University: The Role of Gender and Worker Status. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (18): 11341.
Doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811341.
Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach (Vol. 3). The Guilford Press.
Jugović, I. (2015). Theoretical and empirical overview of explanation of gender differences in educationa choices and achievements. In: B. Baranović (ed.) What Do High School Students Plan to study? – Access To Higher Education and Choice of Study. Zagreb: Institute for Social Research – Zagreb.
Madigan, D. J., & Curran, T. (2021). Does Burnout Affect Academic Achievement? A Meta-Analysis of over 100,000 Students. Educational Psychology Review, 33, 387–405. doi: 10.1007/s10648-020-09533-1.
Naderi H., Dehghan H., Dehrouyeh S., & Tajik E. (2021). Academic Burnout among Undergraduate Nursing Students: Predicting the Role of Sleep Quality and Healthy Lifestyle. Research and Development in Medical Education, 10, 16. doi: 10.34172/rdme.2021.016.
Pikić Jugović, Ivana ; Baranović, Branislava How do Students Choose Their Study Courses? Qualitative Research on Motivational, Gender and Contextual Factors. Sociologija i prostor, 60 (2022), 3; 573-599.
Sabagh, Z., Hall, N. C., & Saroyan, A. (2018). Antecedents, correlates and consequences of faculty burnout. Educational Research, 60(2), 131–156. doi:10.1080/00131881.2018.146157
Schaufeli, W.B., De Witte, H. & Desart, S. (2020). Manual Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT) – Version 2.0. KU Leuven, Belgium: Unpublished internal report.
33. Gender and Education
Paper
Videos as a Means to Increase Students’ STEM Interest and Utility Value: Does Goal Congruity Matter?
Sören Traulsen, Lysann Zander
Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
Presenting Author: Traulsen, Sören
The transformative challenges that European societies face through the ongoing energy and digital transition create a substantial demand for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professionals (Anger et al., 2022). This general shortage is accompanied by a persistent underrepresentation of women in domains like engineering and computer science (Cimpian et al., 2020). Research grounded in the Expectancy Value Theory (Eccles et al., 1983) has repeatedly highlighted the impact of students’ interest and their domain-specific utility value perception (e.g., Ozulku & Kloser, 2023), the latter of which can be catalysed by videos of STEM professionals (e.g., Pietri et al., 2021).
Additionally, Goal Congruity Theory asserts that personal goals must align with the perception of STEM characteristics to develop interest (Diekman et al., 2011). Goal Congruity Theory builds on Bakan’s (1966) distinction between Agency (e.g., dominance and status) and Communion (e.g., caring and cooperation) as fundamental dimensions of human personality. Even if STEM domains are mostly based on communal ideals (e.g., helping society) they are usually linked to and perceived as having agentic characteristics (e.g., working alone). Furthermore, STEM domains are often perceived as preventing the achievement of communal goals, leading people with strong communal goals to lose STEM interest (Diekman et al., 2011). At the same time, research has demonstrated gender differences favouring women compared to men in communal and men in agentic goals (Diekman et al., 2011; Su et al., 2009; Tellhed et al., 2018). Although these results have not been consistently replicated (e.g., Tellhed et al., 2018) it seems plausible that women, develop greater interest in STEM domains when communal (versus agentic) characteristics are emphasised. Analogously, men’s interest should be higher through agentic (versus communal) STEM descriptions.
Several experimental studies investigating the influences of STEM framings on students’ attitudes support these predictions. For example, Neuhaus and Borowski (2018) demonstrated that girls were more interested in a coding course when a framing highlighted communal goals, while boys were more interested when the course framing stressed agentic aspects. Diekman et al. (2011) found that a written collaborative (versus an independent) scenario of a typical workday in STEM resulted in a higher positivity toward science careers among women and those with strong communal goals, while both conditions did not affect men’s attitudes.
In two preregistered studies (Author & Author, 2023a; Author & Author, 2023b) we aimed to examine the effect of image videos and their framings. Guided by the need to differentiate between STEM domains precisely (McGuire, 2022), we selected two different engineering domains. As a seemingly more communal-connoted domain, we chose Biomedical Engineering (Study 1) which develops technologies that promote human health and healing. As a seemingly more agentic-connoted domain, we chose Geodesy (Study 2) which focuses on technologies that can be used to get accurate spatial data about the earth.
Our first goal was to examine the videos’ effects on participants’ interest in the domains and the utility values ascribed to them. Our second goal was to investigate the effect of communal or agentic text framings on interest and utility value. We expected that female students’ interest and utility value would be increased when the domain was described as affording communal (versus agentic or no specific/neutral) characteristics. For male students, we predicted that the agentic (versus a communal or neutral) framing would heighten interest and utility value.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedStudy Design
At the beginning of both Studies, a pretest assessed students' interest in and their utility value perception of Biomedical Engineering (Study 1) or Geodesy (Study 2). Then, students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which they watched a video (approx. 3 minutes) about a researcher of the respective domain. The conditions differed in terms of the framing (agentic, communal, and neutral), provided as a written domain introduction directly before the video. The neutral framing included general instructions, while the agentic framing contained additional information about the domain that underscored the importance of agentic characteristics (e.g., independent work). In the communal framing, communal characteristics (e.g., collaborative work) were emphasised. In the posttest, the focal variables, along with a manipulation check and collecting sociodemographic characteristics were rated again.
Measurements
To capture students’ domain-specific interest in the pre- and posttest, we adapted two items by Jansen et al. (2019). The perceived domain-specific utility value was measured with three adapted items of the subscale Task Value of the Motivation in Science Learning scale by Velayutham et al. (2011). Furthermore, domain-specific prior knowledge was ascertained with one self-developed item.
Samples
The sample sizes for both studies were calculated with different a priori power analyses. Detailed information on the calculations is provided in our preregistrations (Author & Author, 2023a; Author & Author, 2023b). Data collection took place online via Prolific (www.prolific.com) in 2023 with German-speaking students. Participation was voluntary, anonymous, and paid with £1.65.
In Study 1, the sample comprised 292 students with an average age of 24.57 years (SD=4.37). 54.1% of the participants identified as female and 45.9% as male. In Study 2, the sample consisted of 307 students with an average age of 25.19 years (SD=5.28). 57% of the participants were female and 43% male.
Data Analyses
Data analyses were conducted using SPSS Statistics (Version 28). We performed independent t-tests for paired samples to compare pre- and posttest measures of interest and utility value. To investigate the assumed framing effects, we conducted a 2 (gender) x 3 (framing) ANCOVA with prior knowledge as the covariate and students’ interest or students’ utility value perception as the dependent variable respectively. Post hoc tests were conducted with Bonferroni.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsResults
Study 1: Biomedical Engineering
The t-tests showed that students’ interest, t(291)=12.39, p<.001, d=0.725, and utility value, t(291)=14.51, p<.001, d=0.849, were significantly higher after watching the video than before.
An ANCOVA demonstrated significant effects of the covariate, F(1,285)=61.934, p<.001, η2=0.179, and participants’ gender, F(1,285)=4.456, p=.036, η2=0.015, on students’ interest. Post hoc testing indicated higher interest among women than men. No main effects were observed for the framing or any gender x framing-interaction (all ps n.s.).
An ANCOVA showed significant effects of the covariate F(1,285)=6.445, p=.012, η2=0.022, and participants’ gender, F(1,285)=5.607, p=.019, η2=.019, on utility value. Post hoc testing showed higher utility value perceptions of women than men. There was no effect of the framing nor any gender x framing-interaction (all ps n.s.).
Study 2: Geodesy
Students’ interest, t(306)=10.56, p<.001, d=0.603, and utility value, t(306)=10.515, p<.001, d=0.601, were significantly higher after watching the video than before.
An ANCOVA showed significant effects of the covariate, F(1,300)=31.197, p<.001, η2=0.094, and participants’ gender, F(1,300)=8.225, p=.004, η2=0.027, on students’ interest. Post hoc testing revealed higher interest among men than women. There was no main effect of the framing nor any gender x framing-interaction (all ps n.s.). However, pairwise comparisons showed a significant difference favouring men compared to women in the agentic (p=.030), but not in the neutral or communal framing.
An ANCOVA indicated no effects of the covariate, participants’ gender, the framing, and the gender x framing-interaction on utility value (all ps n.s.).
Conclusion
In summary, our results show that videos can effectively influence students’ interest in and utility value of STEM domains. Additionally, we demonstrated gender differences regarding students’ domain-specific interest. Hardly any framing effects were found in both studies. We discuss limitations of our study as well as implications of our findings when aiming to attract male and female students to STEM careers.
ReferencesAuthor & Author (2023a). Preregistration Biomedical Engineering. Retrieved from https://osf.io/6xagt/?view_only=27ca93b1b57f4ad9841d3114b7e0bbf0
Author & Author (2023b). Preregistration Geodesy. Retrieved from https://osf.io/bfqar?view_only=a2dfbd0f1c7b41ea981410af2c40024f
Anger, C., Betz, J., Kohlisch, E., & Plünnecke, A. (2022). MINT-Herbstreport 2022 [STEM Autumn Report 2022]. Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln e. V. https://www.iwkoeln.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Studien/Gutachten/PDF/2022/MINT-Herbstreport_2022.pdf
Bakan, D. (1966). The duality of human existence: An essay on psychology and Religion. Rand McNally.
Cimpian, J., Kim, T., & McDermott, Z. (2020). Understanding persistent gender gaps in STEM. Science, 368(6497), 1317–1319.
Diekman, A., Clark, E., Johnston, A., Brown, E., & Steinberg, M. (2011). Malleability in communal goals and beliefs influences attraction to STEM careers: Evidence for a goal congruity perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(5), 902–918.
Eccles, J. S., Adler, T., Futterman, R., Goff, S., Kaczala, C., Meece, J., & Midgley, C. (1983). Expectancies, values, and academic behaviors. In J. T. Spence (Ed.), Achievement and achievement motives. (pp. 75–146). W. H. Freeman and Company.
Jansen, M., Schroeders, U., Lüdtke, O., & Marsh, H. (2019). The dimensional structure of students’ self-concept and interest in science depends on course composition. Learning and Instruction, 60, 20–28.
McGuire, L., Hoffman, A., Mulvey, K., Hartstone-Rose, A., Winterbottom, M., Joy, A., Law, F., Balkwill, F., Burns, K., Butler, L., Drews, M., Fields, G., Smith, H., & Rutland, A. (2022). Gender stereotypes and peer selection in STEM domains among children and adolescents. Sex Roles, 87, 455–470.
Neuhaus, J., & Borowski, A. (2018). Self-to-prototype similarity as a mediator between gender and students’ interest in learning to code. International IJGST, 10(2), 233–252.
Ozulku, E., & Kloser, M. (2023). Middle school students’ motivational dispositions and interest in STEM careers. IJSE, 1–21.
Pietri, E., Moss-Racusin, C., Dovidio, J., Guha, D., Roussos, G., Brescoll, V., & Handelsman, J. (2017). Using video to increase gender bias literacy toward women in science. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 41(2), 175–196.
Su, R., Rounds, J., & Armstrong, P. I. (2009). Men and things, women and people: A meta-analysis of sex differences in interests. Psychological Bulletin, 135(6), 859–884.
Tellhed, U., Bäckström, M., & Björklund, F. (2018). The role of ability beliefs and agentic vs. communal career goals in adolescents’ first educational choice. what explains the degree of gender-balance? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 104, 1–13.
Velayutham, S., Aldridge, J., & Fraser, B. (2011). Development and validation of an instrument to measure students’ motivation and self‐regulation in science learning. IJSE, 33(15), 2159–2179.
33. Gender and Education
Paper
Bridging the STEM (Gender) Gap by Bringing Future Technologies to Rural Schools
Anna Kanape
PPH Augustinum, Austria
Presenting Author: Kanape, Anna
The present paper presents an evaluation study accompanying an innovative means to pique primary school pupils’ interest and familiarity with future technologies. Before describing the project itself, a short digression into the scientific foundation of the project shall be undertaken.
Different explanations have been discussed what the background to differences in STEM interests in boys and girls are. Cheryan and colleagues (2017) have among other factors argued that fewer exposure of girls in younger years towards computers and technology partially explains the frequently observed gender differences in STEM interests. Also van Meter-Adams and colleagues (2014) could show how important contacts with STEM fields are in order to develop interests, and here especially extracurricular activities play a pivotal role (see Behrendt and Franklin, 2014, for a review on the importance of field trips and Stringer et al., 2020, for the effect on STEM identity and motivation). Similarly, Poor and Vasconcelos (2023) recently showed how important field trips can be to pique elementary school pupils’ interest in STEM fields, which in turn is quintessential for the likelihood that they will pursue a STEM career later on (Unfried et al., 2015).
In order to address the problem that elementary school pupils in rural areas are often excluded from STEM related field trips to museums or universities due to the location of their school the missimo project (https://missimo.at/) was conceptualised and brought to life by the Kaiserschild Foundation (https://www.kaiserschild-stiftung.at/) in Austria. The foundation’s mission is the promotion of STEM competences and interests especially in children and young adults with a special focus of increasing girls interest and self-confidence STEAM. The centrepiece of the missimo project is a mobile 2 storey tall truck which encompasses workspaces where primary school pupils can work on six different future technologies (artificial intelligence, bionics, robotics, sensor technology, coding and augmented reality). The missimo truck itself can be booked without additional costs for the school by primary school teachers in rural areas (an elaborate system was created to determine how far schools are distanced from bigger cities where universities, museums or other institutions provide potential access to extracurricular STEM activities). However, as de Witt and Storksdieck (2018) point out, the ‘field trip’ (i.e. visiting the missimo truck) alone is not sufficient for long-term impact. Therefore, the visit is embedded in three online sessions for teachers (one before visiting the truck, two afterwards) where teachers are made acquainted with the technologies and learn how to conduct so-called missions in class with their students and the materials which they receive in the truck and can be taken home by the pupils.
The accompanying evaluation of the missimo project started in February 2024 and will provide a first intermediate evaluation report in summer 2024, during pupils’ and teachers’ summer break. As the truck can be visited by two school classes each day, several hundred pupils and their teachers should have provided data by summer 2024. A central aspect of the evaluation is the question in how far the activities in the truck as well as the materials provided for teachers also enable students and teachers with lower previous STEM interest and self-perceived competences (i.e. often female pupils and teachers) to have a positive STEM experience and, therefore, pique their interest in technology, which will continue to gain importance in the future, not only in Austria but worldwide.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe evaluation encompasses multiple aspects and perspectives as well as times of assessment. Apart from teachers’ feedback regarding satisfaction and comprehensibility immediately after the online teachers’ workshop also the digital coaches in the truck provide feedback through an online questionnaire) on factors which might have influenced pupils’ learning experience within the truck itself (size of group, noise, motivation of pupils etc.). All students are encouraged to provide feedback on how much they liked the individual workspaces in the truck (using a 5-point Likert-scale with emoticons and colours on a paper pencil questionnaire). This feedback is analysed separately for girls and boys in order to determine whether any of the workspaces are differently attractive to either sex and – more importantly – whether one of the future skills workspaces does not appeal to either boys or girls and therefore needs to be redone in order to eliminate gender bias. While visiting the truck the workspaces are also evaluated by the teachers who accompany the pupils (using a 9-item online questionnaire) regarding their preferences in workspaces and observed difficulty of the individual workspaces. These data are again assessed using statistical analyses with regard to gender differences between male and female primary school teachers.
The major element of this evaluation is, however, a repeated measures design (before and after visiting the truck) assessing various STEM-related variables in pupils as well as their teachers. Due to the data being clustered (a group of students belongs to one teacher, who in turn belongs to a group of teachers from one school) an elaborate code is used to ensure anonymity and at the same time allow the recognition of these data clusters. An online questionnaire asks for self-assessed competence in technology use, interest in technology, acquaintance with technology in both pupils and teachers as well as preferred jobs, parents’ jobs and preferred toys of pupils in order to estimate their level of STEM-affinity. Again, differences between boys and girls as well as male and female teachers will be analysed and discussed.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThe present paper will provide an insight into an innovative way of bringing future technologies to remote areas, allowing pupils, teachers as well as the community of the school to get in contact with these technologies. By providing educational and at the same time child-centred ways of examining these technologies, pupils’ (as well as teachers’) interest in technologies should be piqued, leading to more future contact and as a consequence higher self-esteem in technology-related fields. As developments in this field are enormously fast, it seems quintessential to allow all children (here, especially also girls and children in rural areas) the development of technology-related abilities and provide them with positive mindsets towards their own abilities in dealing with the unknown technological challenges the future will pose. Here, it is especially important to enable girls and female teachers to develop a growth mindset towards using technology by providing them with teaching materials tailored to laypersons in this field rather than “tech-pros”. Data from four months of evaluating the missimo project will show in how far the set goals seem to be reachable within the next few years. As the truck itself is largely non-verbal and mobile, a successful implementation in Austria could provide a useful basis to tackle gender differences in STEM self-concepts and interest in other European countries too.
ReferencesBehrendt, M. & Franklin, T. (2014). A Review of Research on School Field Trips and Their Value in Education. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 9, 235-245. Doi: 10.12973/ijese.2014.213a
Cheryan, S., Ziegler, S. A., Montoya, A. K., & Jiang, L. (2017). Why are some STEM fields more gender balanced than others? Psychological Bulletin, 143(1), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000052
DeWitt, J. & Storksdieck, M. (2008). A Short Review of School Field Trips: Key Findings from the Past and Implications for the Future. Visitor Studies, 11(2), 181-197, DOI: 10.1080/10645570802355562
Poor, J. & Vasconcelos, L. (2023). Impact of Virtual Field Trips on Elementary Students' Interest in Science and STEM. In C. Martin, B. Miller, & D. Polly (Eds.), Technology Integration and Transformation in STEM Classrooms (pp. 198-222). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-5920-1.ch011
Stringer, K., Mace, K., Clark, T. & Donahue, T. (2020). STEM focused extracurricular programs: who’s in them and do they change STEM identity and motivation? Research in Science & Technological Education, 38:4, 507-522, DOI: 10.1080/02635143.2019.1662388
Unfried, A., Faber, M., Stanhope, D. & Wiebe, E. (2015). The development and validation of a measure of student attitudes toward science, technology, mathematics, and engineering. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 33(7), 622-639. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282915571160
Van Meter-Adams, A., Frankenfeld, C., Bases, J., Espina V., & Liotta, L. (2014). Students who demonstrate strong talent and interest in STEM are initially attracted to STEM through extracurricular experiences. CBE Life Sciences Education, 13(4), 687-97. doi: 10.1187/cbe.13-11-0213.
33. Gender and Education
Paper
Visualizing Success Using AI-generated Images: Unveiling Challenges and Success Strategies of Undergraduate Women in IT Degrees
Alexandra Nam1, Ariya Seidin2, Moldir Amanzhol2, Aruzhan Olzhabayeva2, Khakim Kenzhetayev2
1Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan; 2Astana IT University, Kazakhstan
Presenting Author: Nam, Alexandra;
Seidin, Ariya
Information communication technologies (ICT) stands out as one of the rapidly developing and highly paid fields. In response to the increasing demand and interest in ICT education, in recent years, Kazakhstan has substantially increased the allocation of educational grants to this sector. This increase is marked by a fourfold rise, from 2469 grants in the 2020-2021 academic year to 10 103 grants in 2022-2023 (Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, 2023). However, a pronounced gender gap persists in ICT education in Kazakhstan, consistent with a global pattern emphasized by UNESCO in 2017. According to UNESCO (2017), the representation of women in STEM education, particularly in ICT, remains notably low, with only three percent of women and girls worldwide opting for STEM-related fields of study. This trend is reflected in Kazakhstan, where, based on the data from the Bureau of National Statistics for the 2022-2023 academic year, only a quarter of students enrolled in undergraduate IT programs were females (13 298 out of 49 938 students). Women’s participation in STEM education and employment not only faces low levels, but also experiences a notably high attrition rate, often described as a “leaky pipeline”. Notably, in STEM fields, women tend to "leak out" more than men, creating a sex-based filter that unintentionally contributes to the observed gender imbalance (Blickenstaf, 2005). The imbalance results from a cumulative effect of multiple factors rather than a conscious decision to exclude women from the STEM pipeline (Blickenstaf, 2005).
A lot of international research looking at women in IT focuses on female students’ enrollment in computing majors and investigates primary, secondary and high school initiatives and experiences that might influence gender differences in school students' decision-making to pursue a major in IT (Beck et al., 2023; Diethelm et al., 2020; Zdawczyk & Varma, 2023). Interestingly, the further girls are in their school years, the lower self-efficacy in STEM they have (Yu & Jen, 2021). Yet, research addressing the issue of women’s low representation in IT studying the population at higher education started to emerge just recently (Holanda & Silva, 2022). Recent research involving university students in computing majors reported gender differences in distributing roles during group work (Jimenez et al., 2021), the presence of discourses linking masculinity and software development (Tassabehji, 2021) and computer science (Ottemo et al., 2021), and positive influence of informal mentoring and sense of belonging to the program on women’s persistence in computer science majors (Davis, 2022).
The underrepresentation of women in IT fields is deemed crucial due to its impact on the effective use of talent, as well as the importance of diversity in maintaining economic competitiveness. Although experiences during school predict female students’ persistence in computer science majors in college (Weston et al., 2019), a closer investigation of young women’s experiences in IT majors in tertiary education might contribute to providing more insight into understanding how women progress through the pipeline. This study aims to explore undergraduate women’s perspectives on the challenges they face and success strategies they use in pursuing their academic degree in IT, and what they see as important factors to successfully navigate through the pipeline.
The proposed Research questions are:
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What factors do undergraduate women see as important for their success in IT majors?
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What are the challenges that undergraduate women in the IT field face when pursuing their academic degrees?
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What are their success strategies?
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedTo ensure a thorough investigation of the viewpoints and experiences of undergraduate women majoring in IT (n = 30), the study utilizes a qualitative research design that incorporates collecting interview data alongside participants’ visualizations of their perspectives using text-to-image generative AI. The utilization of both methodologies allows not only to enrich the depth of the study but also facilitate triangulation, enabling the cross-verification and validation of results (Creswell & Creswell, 2017). The sample for the study is thirty undergraduate women who major in IT in universities in the two main cities in Kazakhstan, Astana and Almaty. The participants are recruited through the universities selected based on the convenience sampling strategy, using a gatekeeper to allow access to the research sites and the potential participants.
The data collection process involves two stages. First, the recruited participants are asked to use an AI tool to graphically visualize the desired but possibly “missing ingredients” to successfully pursue their studies and career in IT as a woman. To provide conditions for the participants to actually connect with their identities of future IT specialists, while simultaneously tapping into participants’ creativity and facilitating a more in-depth understanding of the participants' thoughts, feelings, and experiences, the participants are trained to use Microsoft Bing Image Creator powered by OpenAI’s latest image-generating model, DALL-E 3, to create these graphic images. During the second stage of data collection, in-depth semistructured face-to-face follow-up interviews are conducted with each of the participants to probe further into their subjective interpretations of the AI-generated images. Beyond these interpretations, the interview questions elicit information on personal and institutional factors that impact participants’ choices to major in computer science and information technology, continue their education, or possibly leave the field altogether.
The AI-generated images are analyzed using social-semiotic analysis that examines how participants construct and interpret meanings and the social contexts where these meanings are formed and understood (Ghazvineh, 2024). The interviews are analyzed in NVivo, computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software, using thematic analysis (Clarke and Braun, 2017). Thematic analysis follows the system of stages developed by Braun and Clarke's (2017): becoming acquainted with the data, creating preliminary codes, identifying themes, reviewing these themes, delineating and assigning names to the themes, and ultimately producing the final report.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsLeveraging the capabilities of the text-to-image generator DALLE, the research provides a novel lens through which to examine participants' experiences but also offers a unique avenue for expressing and understanding ideas and emotions that may be challenging to articulate in traditional qualitative research. Using AI that enables individuals with limited or no artistic training to create striking images that embody their experiences (Li & Yang, 2023), the study might uncover the “missing ingredients” in women’s success in pursuing an IT degree that may have been overlooked in previous research, thereby contributing to a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of women’s perspectives.
The outcomes of this research will contribute to achieving gender equality and empowerment of women in IT in accordance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), developed in 2015. More specifically, understanding the factors undergraduate women see as important for their success in IT majors will contribute to fostering an environment that supports the empowerment of women and girls, as outlined in SDG 5. Revealing potential challenges of undergraduate women in IT might prompt the integration of support mechanisms within educational practices and policies, promoting a more gender-responsive environment for pursuing an IT degree in Kazakhstan and broader international contexts.
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