GSE/RES: Exploring the STEM Gender Gap: Introductory College Mathematics and Statistics Instruction and its Association with Self-Efficacy

智力优点：该项目详细研究了数学和统计培训影响STEM领域职业选择和选择的因素，重点是性别差异。 该项目包括课程和教师相关因素的详细分析，影响妇女（和男子）干职业选择的社会认知职业理论的理论背景。这些因素包括课程形式、教师特征（性别、少数民族地位、母语者、研究人员与教学人员与教学研究生助理与其他人），以及学习环境的特点（教师可用性，考试和评分政策和频率，家庭作业期望，学生进步的评估类型，教师和课程评级，支持网络，包括办公时间，帮助室，学习社区和补充指导）。使用两组数据检验了关于这些因素对不同性别的影响的假设：从高中到社区学院到大学专业的学生的完整数学历史，与自2006年AY以来进入爱荷华州州立大学的所有学生的课程和教师数据相关联，和一个测量自我效能和数学自我的调查工具，在爱荷华州接受基础数学和统计培训前后的信心。更广泛的影响：教育工作者项目组，数学家和统计学家将利用这项研究的结果来探索教学变化，这些变化涉及那些在很大程度上有助于远离STEM领域的职业变化的因素，特别是对女学生而言。考虑中的许多因素至少在某种程度上是学术部门教学规划的结果。规划做法的变化也为与高中和社区学院就与性别有关的过渡和职业指导问题进行合作奠定了基础，如果发现不同高中或社区学院的毕业生之间存在重大差异，这些问题将变得特别紧迫。此外，与其他大学的合作将解决影响妇女的课程和教师相关因素？的态度和成就，在数学和统计学入门课程，以及实施旨在缩小这些机构的STEM性别差距的变化的选择。

Intellectual merit: This project studies in detail the factors through which mathematics and statistics training influences career options and choices in STEM fields, with emphasis on gender differences. The project includes a detailed analysis of course and instructor related factors that impact women's (and men's) STEM career choices in the theoretical context of social cognitive career theory. These factors include course format, instructor characteristics (gender, minority status, native speaker, research faculty vs. teaching faculty vs. teaching graduate assistants vs. others), and characteristics of the learning environment (instructor availability, test and grading policies and frequencies, homework expectations, assessment types of student progress, instructor and course ratings, support networks including office hours, help rooms, learning communities, and supplemental instruction). Hypotheses regarding gender specific impacts of these factors are tested using two sets of data: The complete mathematical history of students from high school through community college to university major, linked with course and instructor data for all students that have entered Iowa State University since AY 2006, and a survey instrument that measures self-efficacy and mathematical self-confidence before and after basic mathematical and statistical training at Iowa State.Broader impacts: The project team of educators, mathematicians and statisticians will use the findings of this study to explore instructional changes involving those factors that substantially contribute to career changes away from STEM fields, in particular for female students. Many of the factors under consideration are, at least to some extent, results of the instructional planning of academic departments. Changes in planning practices also provide the foundation for collaboration with high schools and community colleges on gender related transition and career guidance issues that would become particularly pressing if significant differences are found between graduates from different high schools or community colleges. Furthermore, collaboration with other universities will address course and instructor related factors that influence women?s attitudes and achievements in introductory mathematics and statistics courses, together with options of implementing changes aimed at closing the STEM gender gap at these institutions.This award is co-funded with the NSF EPSCoR office.