ERIC Number: ED578513
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 156
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-0-3551-6423-7
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Women in STEM at a California Community College: A Case Study
Whelan, Garrett C.
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Fullerton
Women are underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from high school to college and into employment. As these are the fastest growing and highest paying fields of the economy this means women are missing the large economic benefits. While there has been a great deal of research into female STEM students at university, there has been almost none examining female STEM students at community colleges. The purpose of this qualitative case study explored the perceptions, experiences, and values of students, staff, and faculty involved in a program to improve the success and retention of female students in STEM at a community college in southern California. For this study one administrator, 5 faculty members, 1 staff member, and 13 students involved with the Women in Technology program at El Camino College participated in hour long, semi-structured interviews. The following five thematic categories emerged from those interviews: (a) choosing STEM, (b) peers and community, (c) barriers to success, (d) cultural issues, (e) the challenge of STEM, and (f) what a successful program looks like. The dissertation includes recommendations for policy, practice, and future research based upon the themes within those categories. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Females, STEM Education, Community Colleges, Case Studies, Qualitative Research, Semi Structured Interviews, Student Attitudes, Two Year College Students, Disproportionate Representation
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A