ERIC Number: ED577154
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1532-4834
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Effects of a Female Role Model on Academic Performance and Persistence of Women in STEM Courses
Herrmann, Sarah D.; Adelman, Robert Mark; Bodford, Jessica E.; Graudejus, Oliver; Okun, Morris A.; Kwan, Virginia S. Y.
Grantee Submission, Basic and Applied Social Psychology v38 n5 p258-268 2016
Women are more likely to leave science, technology, engineering, and mathematics compared to men, in part because they lack similar role models such as peers, teaching assistants, and instructors. We examined the effect of a brief, scalable online intervention that consisted of a letter from a female role model who normalized concerns about belonging, presented time spent on academics as an investment, and exemplified overcoming challenges on academic performance and persistence. The intervention was implemented in introductory psychology (Study 1, N = 258) and chemistry (Study 2, N = 68) courses. Relative to the control group, the intervention group had higher grades and lower failing and withdrawal rates.
Descriptors: Females, Role Models, STEM Education, Gender Differences, Intervention, Introductory Courses, Psychology, Chemistry, Control Groups, Experimental Groups, Grades (Scholastic), Academic Failure, Letters (Correspondence), Hypothesis Testing, College Students, Student Surveys, Achievement Tests, Academic Achievement
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A160023
Author Affiliations: N/A