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ERIC Number: EJ1470534
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: EISSN-1943-4898
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Examining the Experiences of Female HASS Major Students in STEM General Education Courses
Roshini Ramachandran1,2; Molly S. Jacobs2; Adrienne S. Lavine2,3; Marc Levis-Fitzgerald2
Journal of College Science Teaching, v54 n2 p146-156 2025
We explore the experiences of female humanities, arts, social science (HASS) majors taking STEM general education (GE) courses at a large, public university. Using pre- and post-course surveys, we examined how science GE courses designed for non-STEM majors impacted their attitudes toward science on nine measures, with a focus on their confidence and interest. Questions also addressed whether or not the courses met their learning objectives, and open-ended prompts provided the opportunity for participants to explain their responses. While examining the female students, we dove deeper into the learning experiences of underrepresented minority (URM) and first-generation female student subgroups. Through our analyses, we explain student-identified classroom practices that created a positive learning experience in terms of both their (1) ability to achieve course learning outcomes and (2) improving attitudes toward science, specifically in terms of interest, confidence, and the importance of understanding science. We offer data-driven suggestions to keep female students of diverse backgrounds engaged with science and reduce the achievement gap. Since this work describes a large cohort of twenty-four courses, we are able to generate a robust list of inclusive best practices for developing more equitable educational environments.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Biology and Chemistry, California State University, Monterey Bay, Seaside, California, United States; 2Center for the Advancement of Teaching, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States; 3Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States