Education Division Scholarship

Role of Parents and Educators in STEM Education and Participation of Girls

Document Type

Oral Presentation

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Publication Date

1-5-2025

Keywords

STEM girls, STEM women, parents, counselors, teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this paper presentation is to share the compelling findings regarding the role of educators, counselors, and parents in encouraging young girls to participate in STEM activities. The greater the participation in K-12, the greater the desire to pursue STEM majors in academia and future STEM careers (Mitchell et al., 2022; Perna & Titus, 2005). Corbett and Hill (2015), among others (Martinez & Christnacht, 2021; World Economic Forum, 2017) have shown the slow and stagnant numbers when it comes to women’s participation in STEM fields. Much of the needed interest can be cultivated when a girl is young, before she develops negative societal concepts of her abilities (Hunt et al., 2021; Shenouda et al., 2024). This is where parental involvement plays a significant role (Marcus et al., 2021). Parental involvement, especially the father’s presence in activities shows the daughter that she has an advocate (Hite & Spott, 2022; Kesar, 2017, 2018). In the future, her career choice and stickiness in STEM fields is directly and positively impacted as a result of the high self-esteem developed in the early years (Amarnani et al., 2018). Diverting family resources to ensure their daughter feels supported such as summer camps and tutors, bolster a girl’s interest in STEM (Davis-Kean et al., 2007; Dotterer, 2022; Marcus et al., 2021). As a proxy for parents, other adults such as teachers, tutors, counselors, mentors, and robotics coaches, all contribute to the girl’s habitus and self-confidence (Batz et al., 2015; Epstein et al., 2009). Adults-in-charge can also squash a girls’ desire for STEM as well as her self-confidence if they message sexist and gendered stereotypes (Moore, 2024). There has been a consistent focus on raising the rate of women who enter STEM fields. However, the answer may not be in curriculum advancements, or solving the “pipeline problem” (Almukhambetova et al., 2021; Barr et al., 2008)). The answer may begin right at home.

Publication Title

The 23rd Hawaii International Conference on Education - HICE

ISSN

ISSN #1541-5880

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