Title

Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Science and Technology Among Majors

Authors

A. A. Gokhale, Illinois State University
C. Rabe-Hemp, Illinois State University
L. Woeste, Illinois State University
K. Machina, Illinois State University

Document Type

Article

SoTL Category

Student Reflections/Perspectives

SoTL Discipline

Science, Math, and Technology

Publication Date

2015

Abstract

In the USA, women have consistently been proportionally underrepresented in science and technology (S&T). In these disciplines, as students move from high schools to colleges to graduate programs, qualified women drop out at higher rates than do men, resulting in a striking loss of talented students. Attitude toward a discipline is one of the major factors in students' choice of majors. As a result, attitudes toward S&T are issues with longstanding attention and interest in education research. Retention of female students in S&T majors remains a major concern. The purpose of the study was to investigate attitudes toward S&T including attitudes toward female participation in S&T, among S&T majors, and examine differences by gender and class standing. Such an investigation would provide deeper insights to help devise strategies to retain women in S&T majors.

Comments

This article was published in Journal of Science Education and Technology. Vol. 24 Number 4. (2015).

Recommended Citation

Gokhale, A. A.; Rabe-Hemp, C.; Woeste, L.; and Machina, K., "Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Science and Technology Among Majors" (2015). Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Publications. 83.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/sotlpubs/83