Dissertation
Examining Intersections of Gender, Race, Racism and College Choice for High-Achieving African American Female Students Aspiring Careers in STEM
Public Deposited- Abstract
- This qualitative study examined the college choice process of high-achieving, secondary African American female students enrolled at a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-focused Academy aspiring to study STEM at a 4-year college or university. Minority women, unlike White women and racial minority men, face a double bind as they are underrepresented in both gender and race categories (Lockett et al., 2018). Employing Critical Race Theory (CRT), this researcher explored the impact of race and genderism on Black female STEM performance success, contributing factors to student motivation to succeed in STEM, support or lack of support from educational institutions, and whether or not the participants considered the pursuit of STEM fields at Historically Black colleges (HBCUs). The application of CRT allowed this researcher to challenge the normative conversation around Black girls’ STEM performance and examine the gaps in the STEM pipeline for this group. Black girls and women continue to have disproportionately low numbers in achieving STEM degrees (National Science Board, 2016). Data collection involved utilizing 20 semi-structured open-ended questions during face-to-face interviews. Key findings included: (a) the school culture at the Academy served as an inclusive environment for students STEM identity development; (b) students experienced a lack of access to advanced studies in math and science during primary and middle school; (c) a hostile classroom climate consisted of microaggressions due to negative gender stereotyping; (d) students experienced racialized incidents in predominately White/male educational spaces during extracurricular programming and competitions; (e) the college exploration process was impacted by systemic racial and financial policies; and f) the need for more Black female and women of color mentorship to guide their STEM trajectory. Implications for practice included the necessity to improve classroom environments for Black girls in STEM, STEM identity development that addresses discrimination to deal with intersectionality, and employing strategic instructional practices that are culturally responsive. Recommendations for further research included creating safe STEM spaces and implementing culturally relevant pedagogical strategies, conducting longitudinal studies to further identify high-achieving Black girls’ nuances in their STEM trajectory, and strengthening student preparation within K-12 college-going school culture.
- Last modified
- 10/11/2024
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Karen_Fennell_Dissertation___2.14.24_APA_Final.pdf | 2024-07-11 | Public | Download |