The low share of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a complex global phenomenon that requires further investigation, since it affects millions of women and girls worldwide. A broad range of interventions, based on a diversity of disciplinary, theoretical, and methodological approaches, have been conducted in different countries and contexts to encourage the participation of young women in various STEM disciplines, especially in those where women remain dramatically underrepresented. This special issue seeks articles focusing on STEM interventions as well as empirical research papers describing pathways to STEM and providing information for future STEM interventions. This special issue seeks articles focusing on STEM interventions as well as empirical research papers describing pathways to STEM and providing information for future STEM interventions. These interventions provide practitioners and policymakers with best practices to tackle the gender gap in STEM careers and professions, increase girls’ positive attitudes towards scientific and technological fields, and identify barriers to better female achievement in science and technology subjects, among other actions. To ensure that these interventions are effective, feasible, and well accepted by their participants, intervention studies based on rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods must be conducted. The purpose of this special issue is to contribute to finding solutions to this problem by bringing together high-quality examples of gender-based intervention studies. Empirical research which explores the factors most relevant to exclusion of girls and women from STEM subjects in different countries and cultures is therefore encouraged.
In this Research Topic, we call for empirical, review, and methodological papers that consider interventions across a wide range of approaches and methods aimed at tackling the underrepresentation of women in STEM, particularly in highly male-dominated STEM fields, such as computing, electrical engineering, or physical science. Methods-focused papers describing and reflecting on methodological weaknesses and gaps in published intervention studies will be encouraged. In addition, considering the prevalence of gender-based STEM intervention studies from the United States, studies from other geographical contexts will also be welcomed.
The topics to be explored will include rigorous empirical studies, methodological papers, and systematic reviews describing initiatives or programs to overcome the gender gap in the STEM educational and career pathway with the following aspects:
- Tackling the gender gap in access and progression in STEM education in its research questions and/or objectives
- Drawing on one or more theoretical approaches (i.e. feminist and gender studies approaches, motivation theories, etc.)
- Addressing different stages of the educational pathway, including primary, secondary, and higher STEM education
- Using various methodological approaches to design and evaluate their implementation and effectiveness
- Discussing about their sustainability and long-term effects
- Treating the intersection of gender and other socio-demographic factors
- Incorporating Arts and other disciplines in the promotion of STEM subjects and careers
The low share of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a complex global phenomenon that requires further investigation, since it affects millions of women and girls worldwide. A broad range of interventions, based on a diversity of disciplinary, theoretical, and methodological approaches, have been conducted in different countries and contexts to encourage the participation of young women in various STEM disciplines, especially in those where women remain dramatically underrepresented. This special issue seeks articles focusing on STEM interventions as well as empirical research papers describing pathways to STEM and providing information for future STEM interventions. This special issue seeks articles focusing on STEM interventions as well as empirical research papers describing pathways to STEM and providing information for future STEM interventions. These interventions provide practitioners and policymakers with best practices to tackle the gender gap in STEM careers and professions, increase girls’ positive attitudes towards scientific and technological fields, and identify barriers to better female achievement in science and technology subjects, among other actions. To ensure that these interventions are effective, feasible, and well accepted by their participants, intervention studies based on rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods must be conducted. The purpose of this special issue is to contribute to finding solutions to this problem by bringing together high-quality examples of gender-based intervention studies. Empirical research which explores the factors most relevant to exclusion of girls and women from STEM subjects in different countries and cultures is therefore encouraged.
In this Research Topic, we call for empirical, review, and methodological papers that consider interventions across a wide range of approaches and methods aimed at tackling the underrepresentation of women in STEM, particularly in highly male-dominated STEM fields, such as computing, electrical engineering, or physical science. Methods-focused papers describing and reflecting on methodological weaknesses and gaps in published intervention studies will be encouraged. In addition, considering the prevalence of gender-based STEM intervention studies from the United States, studies from other geographical contexts will also be welcomed.
The topics to be explored will include rigorous empirical studies, methodological papers, and systematic reviews describing initiatives or programs to overcome the gender gap in the STEM educational and career pathway with the following aspects:
- Tackling the gender gap in access and progression in STEM education in its research questions and/or objectives
- Drawing on one or more theoretical approaches (i.e. feminist and gender studies approaches, motivation theories, etc.)
- Addressing different stages of the educational pathway, including primary, secondary, and higher STEM education
- Using various methodological approaches to design and evaluate their implementation and effectiveness
- Discussing about their sustainability and long-term effects
- Treating the intersection of gender and other socio-demographic factors
- Incorporating Arts and other disciplines in the promotion of STEM subjects and careers
