Author

Doaa Khalil

Date of Award

5-2021

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Elizabeth Goryunova

Keywords

Women, Leadership, STEM

Abstract

STEM is an abbreviation for four different disciplines: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Many great scientists started the path in the past and invented great theories to help set the foundation for our modern world. Today, innovations are continuing to rise. In fact, new developments are witnessed every day especially in the field of STEM. They are playing a significant role in influencing the current economy and the world's future vision. The only missing aspect of STEM and among those innovations is the presence of females. Historically, women’s education has varied depending on the region, time period, and culture (Min, 2019). Despite the fact that the number of women in STEM has increased since the early 1990s, the gender gap persists, and decreasing the gap in STEM education is pivotal. Therefore, this research investigates whether the presence of the stereotypes that women face in STEM affects or contributes to their low representation in that field. A qualitative research method is used, where data is collected through a set of interviews with women working in STEM fields and related occupations capture various experiences and perspectives. The findings will help understand if a relationship exists between these two phenomena. Keywords: women in STEM, stereotypes, gender gap, STEM education/career, low representation

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