African American Women in Stem: Self-Efficacy, Perceived Barriers, and Coping Efficacy
Abstract
Due to the fundamental contribution of STEM fields to the economic development of the United States of America, there has been specific focus on the STEM education pipeline as this is where future STEM careers are molded. One of the most prominent issues that arises when examining the pipeline is that of ethnic and gender diversity, specifically the retention and persistence of females and ethnic minorities in STEM fields. Fewer minority women are successfully moving through the pipeline, and are therefore significantly underrepresented in the STEM career domain. The current study examined the impact that enrollment in STEM courses has on minority women’s self-efficacy, perception of career barriers, and coping efficacy. Results of the study indicated that self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and coping-efficacy were significant predictors of commitment to STEM. Further, there was not a significant difference in self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and coping-efficacy, based on the amount of exposure to STEM curriculum as measured by education level.
Subject Area
Psychology|Science education
Recommended Citation
Aisha P Armstrong,
"African American Women in Stem: Self-Efficacy, Perceived Barriers, and Coping Efficacy"
(2018).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI10978685.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI10978685