STEM Pipeline: Mathematics Beliefs, Attitudes, and Opportunities of Racial/Ethnic Minority Girls

• Published in: Journal for STEM education research. Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 301 - 328
• Main Authors: Butler-Barnes, Sheretta T., Cheeks, Bridget, Barnes, David L., Ibrahim, Habiba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Achievement tests; Adolescents; Alaska Natives; Asian Americans; Attitudes; Education; Engineering/Technology Education; Ethnicity; Gender; Girls; Grade 10; High Schools; Intersectionality; Learning; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics Education; Minority & ethnic groups; Native North Americans; Oppression; Pacific Islander people; Race; Research Article; Science Education; Secondary schools; Self-efficacy; Sexism; Standardized Tests; STEM education; Students; Teenagers; Hawaii; Alaska; United States > US; Ireland; STEM pipeline; Mathematics; Racial/ethnic minority girls
• ISSN: 2520-8705; 2520-8713
• DOI: 10.1007/s41979-021-00059-x

Racial/ethnic minority girls have a history of being underrepresented in STEM. Yet, there is a dearth of research that identifies the mathematics experiences that predict being on a STEM pipeline. Analyzing data from the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS: 2002), we examined the relationship between mathematics attitudes, beliefs, and enrichment activities and being on a STEM pipeline among racial/ethnic minority girls. The findings indicated that for Black and Latinx girls, higher levels of mathematics self-efficacy beliefs were associated with being on a STEM pipeline. For American Indian/Alaska Native girls, endorsing a growth mindset was associated with being on a STEM pipeline. For Asian, Hawaii/Pacific Islander girls, mathematics enjoyment was associated with being on a STEM pipeline. Yet, endorsing higher levels of participation in mathematics enrichment activities and mathematics self-efficacy beliefs was associated with lower endorsements of being on a STEM pipeline for Black and American Indian/Alaska Native girls, respectively. Results build on previous work by highlighting important mathematics experiences that impact being on a STEM pipeline for racial/ethnic minority girls.