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

智力优势：本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。该项目包括在社会认知职业理论的理论背景下，详细分析影响女性(和男性)STEM职业选择的课程和教师相关因素。这些因素包括课程形式、教师特征(性别、少数族裔身份、母语人士、研究人员与教学教师、教学研究生助理与其他人)，以及学习环境的特征(教师可用性、考试和评分政策和频率、作业期望、学生进度评估类型、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)。关于这些因素的性别影响的假设使用了两组数据进行检验：从高中到社区学院再到大学专业的学生的完整数学史，与2006年以来进入爱荷华州立大学的所有学生的课程和教师数据相关联；以及一种调查工具，衡量爱荷华州立大学在基本数学和统计培训前后的自我效能和数学自信。广泛影响：由教育工作者、数学家和统计学家组成的项目组将利用这项研究的结果来探索教学变化，涉及那些对STEM领域的职业生涯变化有很大贡献的因素，特别是对女性学生来说。许多正在考虑的因素，至少在某种程度上是学术部门教学规划的结果。规划做法的改变也为在与性别有关的过渡和职业指导问题上与高中和社区大学合作奠定了基础，如果发现不同高中或社区大学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女性S在数学和统计入门课程中的态度和成就的课程和教师相关因素，以及旨在缩小这些机构STEM性别差距的改革方案。该奖项由国家科学基金会EPSCoR办公室共同资助。

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.