Mehrnaz Ahrar Social Science
Where Are All the Women? Exploring the STEM Gender Gap via Social Psychology Methodology
The gender gap in STEM fields in the U.S. continues to be a detriment to women’s advancement. While women represent almost half of the US workforce, only 25% of STEM-related jobs are held by women. Research suggests several sociocultural factors that may account for this gap; however, there is no current research exploring the impact of the traditionally male-dominated environment in higher education within STEM departments and female students’ academic self-efficacy. Mehrnaz’s proposed research will investigate whether or not there is a connection between a graduate student instructor (GSI)’s gender and the level of self-efficacy reported by that GSI’s undergraduate students.It aims to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of specific social factors within the university setting and its contribution to the prevailing gender gap in STEM.
