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Addressing the underrepresentation of women in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math: a focus on African American and Hispanic women in community college and university programs

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Addressing the underrepresentation of women in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math: a focus on African American and Hispanic women in community college and university programs

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Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Undergraduate Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math: A Focus on African American and Hispanic Women in
Community College and University Programs

Federico Saucedo

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education

August 2023

© Copyright by Federico Saucedo 2023
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Federico Saucedo certifies the approval of this Dissertation

Gustavo Chamorro
Maria Ott
Rudolph Crew, Committee Chair

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2023

iv
Abstract
Women continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
fields. Some STEM fields, like engineering, computer science, and technology, are even more
underrepresented by women. The representation is even lower for women of color, particularly
African American and Hispanic individuals. This qualitative study sought to explore and
understand why some African American and Hispanic women do not complete some STEM
higher education programs of study. The study examined the experiences of nine Hispanic and
African American women in higher education STEM programs through interviews. Furthermore,
this study sought to explore the prevalence of stereotype threat among these populations while in
college. The study was informed by foundational critical race, stereotype threat, and
intersectionality theories. These theories provided the framework and lens to investigate
participant experiences in STEM programs. The study sought to question and ultimately provide
recommendations via inquiry founded on these theoretical models. The focus of this study
emphasized organizational systems and structures in higher education and their impact on the
STEM industry. The study’s findings included themes related to relationships with professors,
social capital, self-care, and access to resources. Additional findings included experiences with
impostor syndrome, student fortitude, and recognition by professors. Based on the results,
recommendations were made for increasing women of color faculty in higher education STEM
programs, diversity training for faculty and staff, and implementation of mentorship programs.

v
Dedication
To my parents, Humberto and Angelina Saucedo. You came to this country as immigrants
without work, economic resources, or knowing how to speak and write the English language.
Your work ethic, perseverance, and resiliency provided the foundation for my siblings and me to
be productive citizens. You have supported me through the years in various forms, and I am
forever grateful for that.

To my sisters, Griselda, Ruby, and Maria, you have all inspired me to become who I am today.
In particular, a big motivation for focusing on women as part of this dissertation was because I
got to experience first-hand some of the challenges that you have all been through.

To my brothers, Daniel and Miguel, you will continue accomplishing great things in education. I
hope I have laid the foundation and been a role model for you.

vi
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my dissertation committee for all of your patience and support
through this process. Beginning with my dissertation chair, Dr. Rudolph Crew, your wealth of
experience, knowledge, and wisdom helped me through this journey. I connected with you on
Day 1, and I knew that you were going to be a great role model. I look forward to our continue
partnership in supporting disenfranchised communities in education. Dr. Maria Ott, I appreciate
you inspiring me when I had you for one of my OCL classes. It was through that experience that
I knew that I wanted you to be on my dissertation committee. Your warm and welcoming
personality resonated with me. I am grateful and appreciative of your guidance, feedback, and
support throughout this process. Dr. Chamorro, you have always been a professional, and I am
glad that I had the opportunity to work alongside you professionally. I am appreciative of your
guidance and input in this dissertation journey. Your collaborative spirit and feedback supported
me throughout the process. I also look forward to our continued partnership in supporting
marginalized populations in education.

vii
Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication ........................................................................................................................................v
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix
List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................x
Chapter One: Introduction to the Study ...........................................................................................1
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions ...................................................................1
Importance of the Study .......................................................................................................2
Overview of the Theoretical Framework and Methodology................................................2
Definitions............................................................................................................................4
Organization of the Dissertation ..........................................................................................6
Chapter Two: Literature Review .....................................................................................................7
Women in the STEM Industry .............................................................................................7
Women in Higher Education STEM Programs ...................................................................9
Critical Paradigm ...............................................................................................................11
Best Practices .....................................................................................................................16
Conceptual Framework ......................................................................................................19
Summary ............................................................................................................................21
Chapter Three: Methodology .........................................................................................................23
Research Questions ............................................................................................................23
Overview of Design ...........................................................................................................23
Research Setting.................................................................................................................25
The Researcher...................................................................................................................27
Data Sources ......................................................................................................................29

viii
Data Collection Procedures ................................................................................................32
Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................33
Validity and Reliability ......................................................................................................34
Ethics..................................................................................................................................34
Chapter Four: Findings ..................................................................................................................37
Participants .........................................................................................................................38
Findings Research Question 1 ...........................................................................................49
Findings Research Question 2 ...........................................................................................63
Summary of Findings .........................................................................................................74
Chapter Five: Recommendations ...................................................................................................77
Discussion of Findings .......................................................................................................77
Recommendations for Practice ..........................................................................................84
Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................................89
Recommendations for Future Research .............................................................................90
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................92
References ......................................................................................................................................94
Appendix A: Interview Protocol ..................................................................................................102
Appendix B: Participant Information Sheet for Exempt Research ..............................................105

ix
List of Tables
Table 1: Data Sources 24
Table 2: Participant Overview (N = 9) 40
Table 3: Analysis for Research Question 1 50
Table 4: Analysis for Research Question 2 64
Table A1: Interview Protocol 103

x
List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 21

1

Chapter One: Introduction to the Study
The problem of practice for this study focuses on the underrepresentation of African
American and Hispanic women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in
higher education. Specifically, these two groups are disproportionately underrepresented in
STEM and related technology and computer science fields. According to an analysis of minority
women from the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (USCBACS),
women have been disproportionately underrepresented in STEM. A body of research has focused
on higher education programs as a likely source where women either change their STEM majors
or do not complete their program of study (Espinosa, 2011). By focusing on the unique factors
that impact minority women students’ experiences, higher education programs can address
adverse outcomes in these students’ retention and completion rates (Guy & Boards, 2019). In
addition, effective undergraduate student support structures designed for women, especially
minority women, can help address the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields (Espinosa,
2011). Effective support structures can ultimately ensure that the future STEM workforce needs
are met.
Purpose of the Project and Research Questions
This qualitative study sought to understand why African American and Hispanic women
either do not complete their STEM majors or change their majors while in community college
(CC) and university programs. The following research questions guided this study.
1. What are the central factors that affect African American and Hispanic women not
completing STEM and related technology and computer science majors in CC and
university programs?
2

2. How prevalent is stereotype threat among African American and Hispanic women in
STEM and related technology and computer science majors in CC and university
programs?
Importance of the Study
The nation needs to meet the current and future needs of the STEM workforce.
According to a recent Student Research Foundation (2020) report, the national workforce is
expected to grow by 5.2% by 2028, and the STEM workforce is anticipated to grow by 8.8%.
Also, focusing efforts on supporting minority women will positively impact the overall STEM
workforce and will fill current and future workforce gaps. A consequence of not supporting
minority women in STEM is the United States not meeting a projected 8% employment growth
through 2029, compared with 3.4% for non-STEM jobs (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS],
2020). Moreover, this is a social equity issue, where economic conditions are impacted by
earning potential. Occupations in the STEM fields have an annual median wage of $86,980,
whereas non-STEM professions have an annual median salary of $38,160 (BLS, 2020).
Therefore, not addressing gender and race equity issues in STEM can have broader ramifications
and perpetuate economic inequalities. For the United States to maintain its global competitive
technological presence, it will need to ensure that minorities and minority women have equal
access, representation, and support in STEM programs (Alfred et al., 2019). It starts with having
student support structures and supportive environments at the college level.
Overview of the Theoretical Framework and Methodology
This study reflects multiple theoretical frameworks to support the foundational critical
paradigm. Critical race theory, stereotype threat theory, and intersectionality theory extend the
critical theoretical framework. According to Creswell and Creswell (2018), the critical paradigm
3

is based on the transformative worldview that supports giving voice to the disenfranchised to
change people’s lives. The authors stated that supporting diverse groups impacted by negative
experiences related to racism, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic class provides
researchers with an understanding of individuals’ experiences. In addition, this approach aims to
change structures and systems of oppression via institutional, justice, and political methods
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Applying this paradigm and the related theoretical frameworks is
appropriate for this study because of the primary focus on understanding disenfranchised
minority women as they navigate higher education and the STEM workforce.
The research methodology design was qualitative. Creswell and Creswell (2018)
described a qualitative approach as a lens that provides the researcher with directions on a study
that focuses on gender, class, and race questions. Furthermore, the authors stated that the lens
offers a foundational framework for the types of questions and data collection and establishes a
call for change. In addition, qualitative research supports the study of social and cultural
phenomena, not to prove or disprove a theory (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). For these reasons, a
qualitative design facilitated a deeper understanding of why African American and Hispanic
women are underrepresented in STEM technology and computer-related college majors. The
research methodology focused on semi-structured interview inquiry. According to Merriam and
Tisdell (2016), interviews of this type allow the researcher to adapt to the situation, get a sense of
the participant’s worldview, and be exposed to new ideas. Learning through a narrative of a
woman’s experience in a college STEM program allowed for a richer understanding of
complexities related to gender, race, and other intersectional identities. In addition, this type of
inquiry allows for building rapport to establish trust, as some of these issues are personal and
sensitive accounts of possible negative experiences. The study participants were CC and
4

university African American and Hispanic women students in technology and computer science-
related STEM programs.
Definitions
The following definitions provide clarity and guidance on standard terms and phrases
related to the problem of practice.
Classification of instructional programs (CIP): According to the National Center for
Education Statistics (n.d.-b), “the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) provides a
taxonomic scheme that supports the accurate tracking and reporting of fields of study and
program completions activity.”
Community college: According to the U.S. Department of State (n.d.), “Community
colleges offer 2-year programs leading to the Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science
(AS) degree and technical and vocational programs with close links to secondary/high schools,
community groups, and employers in the local community.”
Industry: According to the Merriam-Webster definition, “Industry is a group of
productive or profit-making enterprises” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
Minority: Even though members of other ethnic groups are classified as a minority, for
this study’s focus on African American and Hispanic women, the term minority is used and
includes both of these groups only. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica’s (n.d.-b)
definition, “a minority is a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that coexists with but
is subordinate to a more dominant group” (para. 1).
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education: STEM
encompasses a broad definition. Therefore, the definition adopted by the U.S. government is
used within this study:
5

For purposes of carrying out STEM education activities at the National Science
Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the
term “STEM education” means education in the subjects of science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, including computer science. (STEM Education Act of
2015, para. 3)
STEM Designated Degree Program List: According to the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS):
The DHS’s STEM designated degree program list includes all STEM fields qualifying an
F-1 student for a STEM OPT extension. DHS determined a “STEM field” is a field
included in the Department of Education’s CIP taxonomy within the two-digit series
containing engineering (CIP code 14), biological sciences (CIP code 26), mathematics
(CIP code 27), physical sciences (CIP code 40) or a related field. (U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, 2022, para. 1)
Standard occupational classification: This study leverages occupational data based on the
BLS standard occupational classification system. The system is a statistical standard that federal
agencies use to classify workers into occupational clusters and categories (BLS, n.d.).
Stereotype threat: According to Steele and Aronson (1995), stereotype threat occurs
when an individual believes that a self-characteristic, which is a negative stereotype about one’s
group, is a representation of who they are.
Taxonomy of Program (TOP): According to the California Community Colleges
Chancellor’s Office (2012) taxonomy of programs manual, “the Taxonomy of Program (TOP) is
6

a system of numerical codes used at the state (California) level to collect and report information
on programs and courses, in different colleges throughout the state, that have similar outcomes”
(p. 5).
Organization of the Dissertation
This structure of study is a traditional five-chapter dissertation model. Chapter One
introduces the problem of practice and provides data from higher education STEM completion
metrics and data from relevant industry sectors. The chapter provided a rationale for this study’s
purpose and an overview of the research questions. In addition, a description of this study’s
importance and the consequences of not addressing the issue is framed. Chapter Two reviews the
relevant literature on the STEM labor market, focusing on women in general and minority
women. There will also be a review of higher education metrics about STEM and minority
women. Additional literature review topics will include an overview of the critical paradigm,
critical race theory, stereotype threat theory, and intersectionality theory. Best practices related to
minority women and STEM programs are also covered. Chapter Three will focus on the overall
methodology for the study, participant selection, data collection, and data analysis. My
positionality and relationship to the organizational setting and participants are described. A
transparent description of the researchers’ biases and possible impact on the study is described.
Mitigation strategies regarding assumptions and biases are provided in detail. Chapter Four will
focus on the research findings via an assessment and analysis of the data and qualitative study’s
results. The study will conclude with Chapter Five, which provides best practices and
recommendations to higher education practitioners based on the data analysis and informed by
the literature. Finally, the study will conclude with an acknowledgement of limitations related to
the research and a conclusion.
7

Chapter Two: Literature Review
The following literature review provides an overview of the STEM labor market,
focusing on women in general and minority women. In addition, an analysis of higher education
completion data for women in STEM is provided. Subsequent sections will review minority
women’s experiences in undergraduate STEM programs. A review of the literature, starting with
the critical paradigm, sets the foundation for the subsequent review of critical race theory.
Proceeding literature reviews will focus on stereotype threat theory and intersectionality theory
as integrated within critical race theory. Finally, best practices and recommendations for higher
education programs and industry are analyzed. This section is followed by a review of challenges
in higher education programs and the STEM industry. Chapter Two concludes with a review of
the study’s conceptual framework, and a summary is provided.
Women in the STEM Industry
Minority women continue to be underrepresented in some STEM fields. This is not new,
as research conducted as recently as 10 years prior to this study reference disparities between
men and women. However, women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields by
accounting for less than 25% of STEM jobs, and some women with STEM degrees have a
smaller representation in the STEM workforce when compared to men (Beede et al., 2011). This
trend continues, as evidenced by data from the 2019 USCBACS, which depicts that although
women comprise 48% of the U.S. workforce, just 27% are STEM workers (U.S. Census Bureau,
2020). Further analysis reveals that women are more underrepresented in some STEM
occupations, such as engineering, which represents 15% of STEM workers (U.S. Census Bureau,
2020). Also, African American and Hispanic women represent an even lower percentage of the
STEM workforce. According to a report by the 2012 USCBACS, 5-year estimates, African
8

American women represent 2.2%, and Hispanic women represent 1.7% of the STEM workforce
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2019). The underrepresentation of women and minority women in STEM
will need to be addressed if the national workforce is to remain competitive globally (Alfred et
al., 2019).
Upon further analysis of minority women in engineering, technology, and computer
occupations, the underrepresentation drops to 1.8% for African American women and 1.35% for
Hispanic women (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019). Comparing these fields with occupations in
STEM-related math, life sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences shows that African
American women are represented slightly higher at 2.95%, and Hispanic women are represented
at 2.9% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019). Computer imaging is another area that deserves attention
regarding the underrepresentation of women in the technology-focused STEM field.
Traditionally, this area has not been categorized among the more commonly known STEM
fields. However, in 2022 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security expanded its STEM
designation list to include other technology-focused areas and recognized fields such as
computer graphics and animation (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2022). According to
the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, women in this sector are heavily underrepresented at a
gender ratio of 8.5 to 1 in nine key animation roles (Smith et al., 2019). This discrepancy
represents an opportunity to explore possible reasons why minority women are not entering these
specific STEM occupations at similar rates. This necessitates a review of the literature on higher
education institutions. While higher education plays a role in recruiting the future STEM
workforce, challenges remain in terms of graduating them.

9

Women in Higher Education STEM Programs
Undergraduate programs in STEM face difficulties in recruiting and retaining women.
While well represented in the behavioral sciences, women are underrepresented in STEM,
including physical science fields (Stout et al., 2016). According to Yang and Barth (2015), the
expectation of societal gender roles has a role in why women pick some STEM fields and not
others. These factors can predispose women to have negative experiences. The academic
environment, if perceived as “threatening,” can also play a role in the ability of women to
complete their STEM degree programs (Casad et al., 2019). A study by Weeden et al. (2020)
revealed that 58.2% of men, compared to 42.5% of women, had completed their STEM degrees
in 4 years. However, 28.3% of women and 21.1% of men abandoned their STEM degree
programs (Weeden et al., 2020). Expanding on possible reasons for these outcomes, Casad et al.
(2019) found that some women who experience a negative campus environment and deal with
issues related to their social identity are less likely to be engaged academically and can have
lower self-esteem.
Moreover, learning environments that support peer collaboration and intentionally afford
research opportunities to students increase the likelihood of women completing their programs
(Espinosa, 2011). In a national, longitudinal study focused on STEM attrition conducted by Chen
(2013), the data showed that over 6 years, men left undergraduate programs at a rate of 23.7%
compared to 14.2% for women. However, women switched majors at a rate of 32.4% compared
to 25.5% for men (Chen, 2013). Some noted positive practices are integrating student support
programs and mentorship, as these can positively affect undergraduate women in STEM (Guy &
Boards, 2019). Similar findings on women in CC STEM programs have been reported.
Women in Community College STEM Programs
10

Community colleges across the nation show a pattern of minority women
underperforming with the attainment of associate degrees (ADs) and certificates of achievement
(COAs). An analysis of the most recent ADs and COAs conferred in 2018–2019 for women
resulted in them earning 26% of the total ADs granted in a STEM major (National Center for
Education Statistics [NCES], 2020). The NCES report further highlights that White women
accounted for 11% of ADs, African American women accounted for 3% of ADs, and Hispanic
women accounted for 6% of ADs. A review of COAs conferred in the same NCES report depicts
that 22% of COAs were for women in STEM programs, and White women accounted for 11% of
COAs in STEM-conferred majors. In addition, African American women accounted for 3%, and
Hispanic women accounted for 4% of COAs granted in a STEM major (NCES, 2020).
Community colleges are in a prime position to enroll and retain women in STEM programs.
However, the underrepresentation overall of women highlights a continued gap. This is
especially vital for minority women in STEM programs, who have unique experiences and
challenges to overcome.
Minority Women’s Experiences in Higher Education STEM Programs
Espinosa (2011) stated that there is wide diversity and experiences with minority women
participating in STEM undergraduate programs. Higher education institutions’ awareness of
these experiences can impact their ability to ensure that students complete their undergraduate
programs (Espinosa, 2011). A disproportionate number of women students either change STEM
majors or do not complete their intended programs because of a lack of institutional support. An
analysis of attrition rates for African American and Hispanic men and women revealed that they
leave or switch their STEM majors 57% of the time compared to 48% of their White student
counterparts (Chen, 2013).
11

Statistics for minority women attrition rates as an isolated data metric were not available
in the report and, as a result, were not analyzed. However, in analyzing data from the NCES,
African American women accounted for 3%, Hispanic women accounted for 4%, and students
from two or more races accounted for less than one percent of STEM COA or degree holders
(NCES, 2020). This is also evident at the graduate level, where relating to someone with similar
experiences can be the difference between succeeding in one’s field and possibly changing
career paths (Guy & Boards, 2019). The authors added that minority women in undergraduate
STEM programs need unique support structures such as mentoring and research opportunities.
Strong support structures in higher education institutions enable women to complete their STEM
programs in more significant numbers to meet the needs of the STEM workforce. This first
necessitates understanding the problem of practice through a critical paradigm lens.
Critical Paradigm
The critical paradigm is the foundation for this study and related sub-theories, critical
race theory, intersectionality theory, and stereotype threat theory. The critical paradigm supports
questioning and understanding the unique social realities of individuals by disrupting social
structures that dominate the human experience (Alvesson & Deetz, 2000). The authors
emphasized that exposing injustice, oppression, and inequality dynamics through this lens will
empower oppressed individuals. Through these intentional and critical experiences, social
phenomena can be understood and, more importantly, challenged and transformed (Alvesson &
Deetz, 2000). An individual’s experience is the only observable dynamic. A tenet of the critical
paradigm is its focus on critical realism as a philosophy centered on explaining what an
individual experiences in the context of societal underlying structures and systems (Saunders,
2019). Saunders (2019) added that these systems and networks are always at play and contribute
12

to the experiences of the individual, where some benefit more than others. The author argued that
to understand and truly explain societal phenomena, one has to look for the underlying causes, as
what the individual is experiencing are only the symptoms of structures (Saunders, 2019).
Exploring minority women and their experiences in STEM programs through a critical paradigm
lens is the beginning of understanding their experiences. This focus leads us to critical race
theory as the next level of understanding a minority women’s experience within oppressive
systems.
Critical Race Theory
According to Britannica’s definition, critical race theory is based on the premise that race
is not a natural feature of an individual but a socially constructed mechanism that oppresses
people of color (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-a). According to Matsuda et al. (1993), critical
race theory developed gradually in the 1970s as a response to the continued reemergence of
discriminatory practices from the civil rights era. The authors added that it was out of this
climate that law professors, students, and individuals interested in dismantling racism began to
convene to address the matter in a coordinated fashion. Crenshaw (1991) identified the origin of
critical race theory at a student boycott event in 1981 at Harvard Law School, where students
were protesting Harvard’s first African American professor Derek Bell’s departure. According to
Matsuda, the students developed their courses to fill the void after professor Bell’s departure.
This newly developed course launched what would become critical race theory as a movement
and was a way for individuals with similar backgrounds, stories, and chronicles to unite to
dismantle racism (Matsuda et al., 1993). The authors identified and summarized the following
critical race theory elements:
1. Critical race theory recognizes that racism is endemic to American life.
13

2. Critical race theory expresses skepticism toward dominant legal claims of neutrality,
objectivity, color blindness, and meritocracy.
3. Critical race theory challenges ahistoricism and insists on a contextual/ historical analysis
of the law.
4. Critical race theory insists on recognition of the experiential knowledge of people of
color and our communities of origin in analyzing law and society.
5. Critical race theory is interdisciplinary and eclectic.
6. Critical race theory works toward the end of eliminating racial oppression as part of the
broader goal of ending all forms of oppression. (Matsuda et al., 1993, pp. 5–6)
In the educational arena, Solórzano and Yosso (2002) extended critical race theory’s
definition to account for racism in academia to acknowledge it along with other subordinate
discriminatory practices based on gender, class, sexual orientation, language, and national origin.
They argued that these systems of oppression facilitate minority individuals’ subjugation in and
out of the classroom. Through the critical race theory foundational lens, a deeper understanding
of minority women in STEM programs can be achieved. The following literature review
highlights stereotype threat theory and its role in minority women in STEM.
Stereotype Threat Theory
Stereotype threat (ST) manifests among groups of individuals who are marginalized and
disenfranchised in society. As a result, due to African American and Hispanic women’s multiple
intersectional identities, accounting for the negative impact that ST causes needs to take place as
they navigate academia. Stereotype threat theory arises from a social-psychological tension
where an individual aware of known negative stereotypes of their group is hypersensitive to their
actions because it might confirm what they think others already perceive them to be (Steele &
14

Aronson, 1995). Stereotype threat emerges in an individual by thinking about what other
members of society perceive them to be, whether positive or negative (Steele, 2010). Steele
(2010) added that if there is a situation where a perceived negative aspect of a person’s identity
could be associated with them, not only is the individual aware of it, but there is also a probable
response with them confirming it. Because of this, at the core of ST is an individual thinking that
they are being judged and mistreated (Steele, 2010).
In academia and higher education, ST can manifest in various ways among minorities in
general but women in particular. Experiences of ST among minority women significantly impact
attrition in STEM (Beasley & Fischer, 2012). The authors added that ST is prevalent in testing
environments and general life experiences on and off campus. This study reinforced that a
significant concern is not necessarily a lack of interest in STEM majors by minority women but
rather the effect of them leaving before completing their STEM program (Beasley & Fischer,
2012). African American and Hispanic women in STEM programs are at a disadvantage due to
the prevalence of ST. The prevalence of ST accounts for their underrepresentation in STEM
programs and, ultimately, in the STEM industry. Coupled with this dilemma is the reality that
African American and Hispanic women also have multiple salient intersectional identities. This
leads us to acknowledge and give focus to intersectionality theory.
Intersectionality Theory
Individuals have multiple salient identities, such as gender, race, class, physical ability,
socioeconomic status, or sexuality. For some, these identities intersect and can expose them to
discrimination and marginalization. African American and Hispanic women have multiple
salient identities that make them susceptible to discrimination based on race, socioeconomic
status, and gender. Adequately understanding and supporting African American and Hispanic
15

women students in STEM programs requires an acknowledgement of their intersectional
identities. Crenshaw (1991) is credited with critical race theory and intersectionality theory as it
is known today. Intersectionality describes the different ways that race and gender intersect and
frame Black women’s experiences in the context of employment experiences (Crenshaw, 1991).
Crenshaw added that because Black women have multiple identities as women, and as women of
color, they are further marginalized and discriminated against.
According to Crenshaw (1991), the focus on gender and race does not neglect other
identities, such as class or sexuality. The author added that these identities and others also shape
the experiences of women of color. Subsequent research on intersectionality theory refined and
reinforced it even more. Gaston Gayles and Smith (2018) described intersectionality as a
woman’s multiple intersecting identities, such as race, gender, and class, serving as structural
oppressions that shape an individual’s experiences and outcomes. The authors added that women
of color in STEM programs have multidimensional experiences and are more likely to have
negative academic experiences. There continues to be a lack of research about minority women
in STEM through the lens of intersectionality theory, and as a result, this necessitates further
research on the experiences of these students (Gaston Gayles & Smith, 2018). Adding to the
body of research on intersectionality as the basis for understanding African American and
Hispanic women’s experiences navigating STEM programs will strengthen support structures
and systems in higher education. As a result, more minority women will be retained in STEM
programs, leading to a more representative industry. The following section highlights best
practices in higher education and the STEM industry that demonstrate effective support
structures for minority women.

16

Best Practices
There are practices in higher education STEM programs and in the STEM industry that
demonstrate innovative ways to support women of color in STEM. The following section begins
with an acknowledgement to mentorship, and bridge programs within CC settings. The
subsequent section highlights impactful support structures that have been implemented in the
STEM industry.
Best Practices in Higher Education STEM Programs
More needs to be done by higher education institutions to support women minority
students in STEM. An additional consideration of the unique challenges that minority women
face can result in better retention and completion rates (Guy & Boards, 2019). Awareness of
minority women in STEM and what some might lack in terms of limited higher education
experience established academic relationships, and unique family constraints can ensure their
foundational support structures (Reyes, 2011). Community colleges can also support minority
transfer STEM students because they serve women and minority students more significantly than
traditional universities (Wang, 2013). Wang (2013) added that CCs include more accessible
faculty for mentorship and bridge programs with integrated support. Community colleges serve
underrepresented populations in large numbers across the United States. A recent analysis of CC
enrollment shows that women comprise 60% of the enrollment, 27% are Hispanic, 12% are
African American, and 29% are first-generation students (American Association of Community
Colleges, 2022). The report highlights that CC enrollment accounts for 39% of all U.S.
undergraduates, 36% of all first-time freshmen, 50% of Hispanic students, and 40% of African
American students. In supporting minority women in STEM programs, CCs have a significant
role to play due to their access, low tuition, and flexible schedules for part-time students.
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Community colleges can serve as foundational programs that can ultimately support a
university’s STEM program diversity. According to a study conducted by Espinosa (2011),
adopting programs like college major clubs and other activities that enable minority women to be
more engaged in their academic community can positively affect student persistence and,
ultimately, the completion of a 4-year program.
A notable practice through the lens of critical race theory highlighted the positive impact
mentorship for women minority students in CC STEM research programs can have (Villasenor et
al., 2021). The authors added that participants in the program reported a greater science identity,
understanding of academic materials, and benefits from the mentorship, which resulted in a
higher sense of belonging. According to Villasenor et al. (2021), an essential feature of the
program studied focused on training faculty mentors on critical race theory to build a
foundational social capital identity for their students. Lastly, an acknowledgement of secondary
programs’ role in preparing aspiring STEM students is warranted. An important area of focus
relates to secondary programs being in prime positions to cultivate minority high school
students’ interest in STEM, as it forms the foundation for future progression on a CC STEM
career path (Wang, 2013). However, the author added that more research is needed to improve
the effectiveness of high school-level math and science courses and ensure adequate alignment
between the high school and community college programs. Awareness of unique factors and
relevant support systems impacting minority women in STEM specifically will better position
college faculty and leaders to support this population at their institutions. Replicating similar
support structures and other innovative practices in the STEM industry arena is key to sustaining
minority women in STEM jobs.

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Best Practices in the STEM Industry
The STEM industry needs to integrate structural systems to better support women as they
transition from academia to the workforce. Without these systems, the STEM industry will find it
challenging to retain and recruit women and minority women into STEM occupations. Women
generally earn less than men in STEM and tend to enter and leave the workforce at a higher
frequency (Beede et al., 2011). The author cited further possible reasons for occupational
discrepancies, such as a lack of incentives to accommodate familial needs, limited role models,
and gender stereotypes within the industry. Minority women who work in the STEM industry are
typically isolated in terms of numbers when compared to men and other races (Johnson et al.,
2017). The authors added that because of this isolation, their negative experiences are magnified
and result in a lack of motivation for career advancement due to attributing these experiences to
negative self-fulfilling stereotypes (Johnson et al., 2017). Johnson et al. (2017) highlighted that
the underrepresentation of minority women in STEM is beyond a physical presence as it
manifests itself psychologically and emotionally.
The following areas are practices that have been documented in research supporting
minority women in STEM occupations. Solutions in organizations that can help minority women
in STEM include training for non-women minority staff on acceptable behavior, cultural
sensitivity, leaders modeling appropriate behavior, and integrating this training as part of the
organizational culture overall (Clancy et al., 2017). A practice that has received attention is the
concept of enabling and supporting minority women in STEM industries to build a network of
peer support and mentorship. An analysis using the critical feminist theory framework reported
that mentorship programs that considered intentional mentee matching, strong women role
models in STEM, online platforms, and peer mentoring continued to support women in their
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career fields (Beck et al., 2022). The authors further added and cautioned that traditional
mentorship programs have been designed along the gender binary and do not consider the
intersectional identities that minorities bring to the STEM fields.
According to Beck et al. (2022), mentorship programs and peer groups that consider
intersectionality dynamics support inclusivity, help women in STEM overcome isolation and a
sense of belonging, and advocate for work-life balance. Ensuring that these practices are in place
in the STEM fields will help minority women as they transition into the workforce. There is an
opportunity for institutions of higher education to be aware of the unique challenges that await
minority women as they enter the workforce. Bringing higher education institutions and industry
together will help address the overall problem of practice. The following section represents an
overview of the conceptual framework for this study’s focus on understanding the experiences of
minority women in STEM programs.
Conceptual Framework
The paradigm of inquiry framing the purpose for the problem of practice is based on the
critical paradigm. According to Creswell and Creswell (2018), this theoretical framework is
concerned with empowering human beings to transcend the constraints placed on them by race,
class, and gender. This approach views the problem of practice from the perspective of the
minority woman who is disenfranchised and marginalized. Building upon the foundation of the
critical paradigm is the critical race theory. The assumption of systemic racism and sexism is at
play concerning the problem of practice related to underrepresented minority women in higher
education STEM programs and industry. As a result, structural forces, directly and indirectly,
impact an individual’s agency as they navigate higher education. To truly understand the
experiences of African American and Hispanic women as they navigate educational programs,
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one has to understand the external racial, gender, and classist forces at play that can undermine
their experiences. Those external forces impact students internally as they perceive and
experience their educational and career paths.
Building on the critical race theory framework used to examine the problem of practice is
intersectionality theory. This theory, rooted in critical race theory, considers how a person’s
identities intersect and manifest in oppressive ways (Crenshaw, 1989). To truly understand and
design effective higher education support structures for minority women in preparation for their
STEM careers, it is essential to account for the roles of gender, race, class, and sexual identity
(Alfred et al., 2019). Therefore, the intersectionality theory framework is vital so that institutions
can ensure minority women are retained and ultimately complete their degrees (Guy & Boards,
2019).
The second theory that forms the foundation of inquiry for this study is ST theory.
According to Steele (2010), ST occurs when a marginalized group member is aware of the
stereotypes others hold about them, resulting in the individual underperforming. Through the
foundational critical theory and interweaving both an intersectionality and ST lens, this study
aims to further understand the individual’s experiences. As Maxwell (2013) described the
qualitative process as one in which designing the conceptual framework is part of the
construction process, this framework borrows from multiple theories. This multi-prong
theoretical approach depicted in Figure 1 will add to the literature to introduce and sustain
supportive structures for minority women in STEM.

21

Figure 1
Conceptual Framework

Summary
The literature reviewed demonstrates that African American and Hispanic women
continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields. The analysis highlighted data on the
underrepresentation of women in various STEM occupations compared to men. These gaps
continue to impact the STEM industry sector in the United States. The analysis highlights
disproportionate gaps in fields such as engineering, technology, and computer occupations for
minority women. Higher education programs have demonstrated difficulties in recruiting and
retaining women overall. Negative experiences, threatening environments, and discrimination
directly impact minority women in STEM programs. This impact has resulted in African
American and Hispanic women dropping out or changing their STEM majors, resulting in many
not completing their programs of study.
The research has demonstrated that higher education programs can be pivotal in
supporting minority women in STEM programs. This requires institutional support, intentional
student support services, mentoring programs, and access to research opportunities. Addressing
the problem of practice through a critical theory lens will allow factoring in various systems of
oppression, including educational institutions. The critical lens permits this study to account for
Critical Paradigm
•Critical Race Theory
•Intersectionality Theory
•Stereotype Threat Theory
Qualitative Study Design
•Semi-Structured Interviews
•Interview Guide Approach
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disenfranchised minority women to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences in higher
education and the workforce. This study includes establishing an inquiry that accounts for ST
and intersectionality theory’s related role in the lives of African American and Hispanic women.
Promising practices in higher education include staff having more profound knowledge about
minority women’s family structures, limited academic relationships, and higher education
experiences. In addition, community colleges are in a prime position to support minority women
due to their high numbers of minority students, geographic access, affordability, and unique
student support programs.
Some promising best practices in the STEM industry include professional development
for organizational leaders and minority women, networking training, and mentorship access. This
study has provided a deeper understanding of the experiences of African American and Hispanic
women in STEM college programs. Information about the students’ lives and how it impacts
their worldview connects to their program of study and future career goals. This inquiry has
generated rich information. This information can be disseminated to higher education STEM
program leaders to better support minority women. This research can ultimately inform the
industry so that support structures are standardized, which can eventually positively affect the
STEM workforce in the United States.

23

Chapter Three: Methodology
This chapter outlines the qualitative research methodology used in this study. This study
aimed to better understand African American and Hispanic women’s experiences as they
navigate higher education STEM programs. As noted in the literature review, minority women
have different experiences related to their race, socioeconomic class, and gender. The chapter
describes the sampling method, participants, interview protocol, and instrumentation. In addition,
it describes data collection procedures and data analysis. Furthermore, the following sections
describe how validity and reliability were accounted for in the study. The remaining sections
focus on ethical practices and analyze the study’s limitations and delimitations.
Research Questions
The following research questions guided this study.
1. What are the central factors that affect African American and Hispanic women not
completing STEM and related technology and computer science majors in CC and
university programs?
2. How prevalent is ST among African American and Hispanic women in STEM and
related technology and computer science majors in CC and university programs?
Overview of Design
The research design is based on a qualitative methodology. Creswell and Creswell (2018)
described a qualitative approach as a lens that provides the researcher with directions on a study
that focuses on gender, class, and race questions. Furthermore, the authors state that the lens
offers a foundational framework for data collection and the types of questions asked as well as
establishes a call for change. In addition, qualitative research supports the study of social and
cultural phenomena, not to prove or disprove a theory. The qualitative research design supports a
24

transformative worldview by focusing on the needs of individuals who are disenfranchised
because of gender and race, and supports institutional change (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). For
these reasons, a qualitative design facilitated a deeper understanding of why African American
and Hispanic women are underrepresented in STEM technology and computer-related majors.
The research method used was a semi-structured interview inquiry. According to Merriam and
Tisdell (2016), this type of interview structure combines structured and unstructured questions
and flexible wording. As shown in Table 1, the structured and semi-structured interview format
supports both research questions and guides specific areas to be explored.

Table 1
Data Sources
Research questions Structured interviews Semi-structured interviews
What are the central factors that affect
African American and Hispanic
women not completing STEM and
related technology and computer
science majors in CC and university
programs?
X X
How prevalent is ST among African
American and Hispanic women in
STEM and related technology and
computer science majors in CC and
university programs?
X X

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Interviewing allows for flexibility and analysis of issues as they come up with emerging
worldviews of the participants (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Participants were identified based on
purposive sampling, which accounts for general demographic (e.g., gender identity and academic
major) criteria. This phase was conducted before interviewing the participants. Capturing data
via a semi-structured interview protocol helped to explore the participants’ STEM college
experience. This allows for a richer understanding of complexities related to gender, race, and
other intersectional identities. In addition, this type of inquiry allows for building rapport to
establish trust, as some of these issues are personal and sensitive accounts of negative
experiences. Thematic analysis was used to interpret and understand themes from the
participants’ stories. This type of analysis is appropriate when the researcher is trying to solve
ideological perspectives, such as critical theory, through the participant’s narrative (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2016).
Research Setting
This study’s participants were from local CCs in the Los Angeles Community College
District (LACCD) in the Los Angeles County region. In addition, two participants were from
public universities in New York City, New York. These colleges were assigned pseudonyms for
use in this study. The first college is located in the southern part of Los Angeles County and is
referred to as College A. The second college is located in the central region of Los Angeles
County and is referred to as College B. The third college is in the northern region of Los Angeles
County and is referred to as College C. According to the LACCD fall 2020 district profile data,
enrollment is composed of 78% students of color, 8% African American, 59% Hispanic, and
59% of the students are women (LACCD, 2020). Colleges within the LACCD are ideal for the
participant pool due to ample representation of Hispanic and African American women students.
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In addition, all three CCs are located in geographic locations with diverse populations.
Colleges A-C are located in urban regions of Los Angeles County. Recent data from the 2021
USCBACS 1-year estimates report show that the median household income was $77,456
compared to the state of California at $84,907, and 35% of residents held a bachelor’s degree or
higher, compared to the state of California at 36% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021). It is important to
note that an analysis of the immediate community of each one of the CCs represents various
differences when compared with the county profile overall. However, to maintain confidentiality
with each one of the community colleges, that level of data analysis is not included. As the
demographic data indicate, there is a difference in medium household income between the
communities where these community colleges are located. Since the focus of this research is on
both community colleges and universities, they are integral to addressing both research
questions.
An item to account for is that many CCs across the nation still offered virtual and in-
person instructional modalities at the time of this study. Due to students’ exposure to virtual
instructional modalities, conducting virtual interviews will continue to support a method that is
the safest, convenient, and most efficient. Also, since most students would have been exposed to
a virtual instruction modality up to this point, offering this modality will not involve a steep
learning curve for them. Another issue is that minorities and women, in particular, have been
disproportionately impacted by the COVID pandemic in California (Legislative Analyst’s
Office, 2020). As a result, this study was sensitive to the possible experiences of the participants,
and every effort was made to accommodate a safe interview protocol environment.
This study’s participants were nine students from CCs and universities. The objective
was to identify a balanced representation of African American and four Hispanic women to
27

participate. I purposely comingled the students from each college and university to represent
each of the ethnic demographics so that the experiences from each can be accounted for
regardless of institution. The participants were selected based on their declaration of a STEM
and related technology and computer science major. There were no limitations on the
participants’ credentials of focus as they could pursue a COA, AD, or 4-year degree. In terms of
the program of study for the CC participants, the study was limited to only programs with a TOP
code beginning with 07, 09, 19, and 04, defined as information technology in the TOP code
manual (California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, 2012). At the university level,
STEM programs included in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security STEM designation (and
related) list were included. Lastly, the participants were not excluded based on their age or
socioeconomic class. This is due to community colleges and universities serving populations
from various demographic backgrounds. This intentional participant selection provided an
opportunity for them to share their stories to understand the underrepresentation of minority
women in STEM. The following section covers my positionality and association with the settings
and participants.
The Researcher
Professionally, I have worked in career technical education or career education (CE) for
the past 16 years. The last 5 years have been in the capacity of an administrator supporting CE
programs in the community college system. Through these experiences, I have observed the
underrepresentation of minority women in various STEM programs. I have also been exposed to
the STEM industry’s needs through our program-employer partnerships. I am mindful that my
administrative role in higher education could present a conflict of interest if the study were to be
centered at my institution. To avoid this, the study has prioritized researching higher education
28

programs outside of my institution. I will have no relationship with any of the participants. My
only connection to the community college that is part of the study is knowing some of the
administrators in a professional role.
In terms of my positionality, my roles relate to my gender being male, heterosexual,
credentialed, and middle class. Being a male, I know this identity interweaves with a topic that
focuses on male overrepresentation in specific industry sectors. I am self-aware as I navigate the
various gender-focused dynamics in the study. In addition, because of the graduate-level
educational credentials I have obtained up to this point, I am aware of my experiences as I
develop programs of study that might not require credentials beyond a bachelor’s degree. Most
of these fields require less than a bachelor’s degree. In addition, my social class encroaches into
these fields because, traditionally, many of these fields do not have wages as high as my current
earnings. The masculine identity that coincides with being a male has many unfair advantages,
especially in the workplace. According to Elkins (2018), there continues to be an earning gap
between men and women, where men typically earn more than one million dollars over a
lifetime.
Lastly, the theory of change for the study focuses on the critical theory paradigm.
According to Creswell and Creswell (2018), this theory focuses on empowering marginalized
groups due to their race, class, and gender. As a researcher, I identify with being Hispanic and
have also been disenfranchised due to my ethnicity and socioeconomic class. These identities
resonate with me as I research and reflect on why things are the way they are and try to
understand them. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), the researcher can practice
reflexivity and acknowledge their role and biases so that these do not interfere with the study by
being aware of these salient identities as it relates to the study participants. The authors added
29

that this self-awareness and reflection can place the researcher as either an insider or an outsider
from the participants’ perspective and, as a result, can position themselves to build trust and
relate with or not with the participants (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The following section
describes the data sources and methods used for this study.
Data Sources
The interviews consisted of structured and semi-structured questions. The first part of the
interview consisted of structured questions focusing on demographic topics. The questions in this
section helped confirm participants based on their gender, ethnicity, and college major. This
section was also designed to establish rapport and learn more about the participant’s general
qualifications for the study. The second part of the interview was composed of semi-structured
questions. Ten participants were the target sample for the interviews. The plan was to prioritize
virtual interviews to make them convenient, safe, and accessible to the participants.
Interviews
The interview methodology framework was composed of both structured and semi-
structured questions. The initial structured phase of the interview covered general topics such as
demographics related to age, gender, and ethnicity. In addition, there was a question about the
current major as it relates to STEM. Even though I isolated the participants based on their
gender, ethnicity, and STEM major through purposive sampling, reiterating these topics and
questions allowed the participants and me to build trust and rapport while confirming their initial
responses. The second part of the interview transitioned into a semi-structured questioning phase.
The focus of semi-structured interviews was to learn and understand the participants’
worldviews, and as a result, the questions were designed to be open-ended (Merriam & Tisdell,
30

2016). The authors added that this type of interview questioning leads to the experience being
more exploratory, supporting flexibility during the interview (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Participants
The participants for this study were selected based on purposeful sampling. According to
Merriam and Tisdell (2016), this type of sampling assumes that the researcher has a clear interest
in genuinely understanding the participants and, as a result, will be very selective so that the
participants identified can yield relevant information. The objective was to identify 10 African
American and Hispanic women students from the target CCs and universities who identified as a
STEM and related technology and computer science major. Therefore, the ideal composition of
the participants was to have five African American and five Hispanic women students from the
colleges.
Instrumentation
The interview protocol used for this research was based on a semi-structured design.
Primarily, the interview questions were open-ended, with ample room for probing. I sought
specific information, which guided the structured portion of the interview protocol. Furthermore,
the design utilizes an interview guide approach to plan the order of questions and prioritize some
more open-ended questions. Due to the nature of the topic, which explores issues of race,
discrimination, gender, and other dynamics that might expose delicate issues for the students,
this interview protocol structure lends itself to a deeper understanding of the participants. The
flexibility in this format allows the researcher to respond to the current situation, the emerging
worldview of the participant, and any new ideas about the topic (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
The interview protocol includes 12 open-ended questions (Appendix A). True to the
nature of the qualitative design, each question has at least one probe to expand further into the
31

question. Substant information can be obtained by skillfully using probes in the open-ended
question design (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The interview questions begin with a reflection on
the beginning of the student’s experience with their interest in STEM while in high school to
their experience when they first enter college. It then leads to exploring factors that enabled them
to choose STEM as a possible career field. From that set of questions, we transition deeper into
their college experience and explore issues of academic preparation, support, and issues of
ambiguity with their major goal. These questions explore deeper identity issues and possible
experiences with racism, discrimination, and sexism. The concluding questions allow the
participant to share what they envision as an ideal STEM program. These are scenario-based
questions.
Each interview question is directly related to the study’s research questions. Research
Question 1 focuses on African American and Hispanic women in STEM programs and explores
why some are not completing STEM majors. Research Question 2 focuses more on individual
dynamics as it relates to identity through the lens of ST and intersectionality. Both of these areas
have a foundation of the impact on retention and completion in STEM majors. This latter area of
focus is directly connected to the study’s conceptual design, which focuses on exploring the
issue through a critical paradigm and considering problems of racism and sexism in a minority
student’s college experience.
A student’s college experience is closely connected to the campus climate, which for
people of color can be associated with racism and marginalization (Solórzano et al., 2000).
Solórzano et al. (2000) added that considering critical race theory and applying some of its tenets
could offer insights into the structural components of education in an effort to demonstrate how
social constructs on college campuses can impact minority students. According to Solórzano et
32

al. (2000), accounting for racial microaggressions and eventual manifestations of ST by people
of color, it considers the negative impact on their academic achievement and the college racial
climate. The following section describes the study’s data collection procedures.
Data Collection Procedures
The interviews were conducted between April and June 2023. For the colleges, this was
the spring semester. The interviews ranged from 21 to 41 minutes in duration. The interviews
were conducted via the Zoom platform, recorded, and transcribed. Conducting online interviews
synchronously has the strength of convenience for the participants, no geographical limit, and
facilitation of recordings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). In addition, due to the active pandemic
climate in the Los Angeles County region, offering a virtual option for the interviews reduced the
risk of COVID-19 exposure. A professional online artificial intelligence-based subscription
platform facilitated the interview transcription. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), having
a detailed and accurate transcription will provide a sound database to analyze. They further
emphasized that using a professional transcription service can save time and add to the accuracy
of the analysis (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
I did not need translation services, as part of the participant recruitment process was
ensuring that they spoke and understood English. The recruitment process was mixed and
included direct email invitations and dissemination of flyers electronically and at the campuses.
To expand recruitment, I also utilized marketing on social media platforms like Instagram and
Twitter. The study’s information sheet was integrated into a Google form, which also included
the consent form and registration. I worked with the CCs’ institutional research departments to
facilitate participant recruitment. Only one CC provided student email accounts, while the others
supported passive outreach via student clubs, connecting with staff, and flyer dissemination.
33

Furthermore, an additional criterion was that they had selected a STEM and related
technology or computer science major. An incentive offered was in the form of an electronic gift
card not to exceed $25.00 to either a local coffee shop or for redemption at the Amazon online
store. Lastly, the data obtained was stored in my secure cloud server utilizing the University of
Southern California (USC) Google Drive platform. The initial data came from the Zoom
interview recording and my interview notes. Transcription data were initially stored within the
transcription service provider and then uploaded to my Google Drive platform.
Data Analysis
Data analysis was ongoing throughout each phase. Analysis of interviews, notetaking,
preparing reports, and transcribing were conducted simultaneously throughout the study’s
interview phase. The interviews were recorded, facilitating the research focus on the participants’
responses. This allowed for immediate reflection, interpretation, and preliminary analysis. I took
only essential notes to avoid distractions during the interviews. After each interview, the raw
data were organized for analysis, reviewed, then uploaded to the transcription service provider
platform. This initial review provided a general sense of emerging themes and patterns and an
opportunity to reflect on what the participants have provided up to this point (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018).
I conducted at least two reviews of the transcribed interviews to account for accuracy. A
review of spelling, grammar, and ease of understanding was part of this review. I gave each
participant a unique identifier. I used Atlas.ti, a software data analysis program used in
qualitative research to identify themes by coding. The objective of data analysis was to identify
themes and associations to understand the participant’s STEM education experiences. As
Creswell and Creswell (2018) described, the researcher’s descriptions of themes, categories, and
34

participant perspectives add to the research analysis. The basic coding system that was used
focused on expected themes, surprising themes, and unusual themes. These codified descriptions
of the participants are outlined and expanded on in the findings and discussion chapters.
Validity and Reliability
The study employed respondent validation, adequate engagement in data collection, and
researcher reflexivity practices to ensure maximum validity and reliability. First, the method of
member checking was deployed. After the data were analyzed, I solicited feedback on the core
themes and findings from some of the participants. This allowed some of the participants to
review quotes and themes. The participants had an opportunity to confirm my interpretation and
provide clarification. There was agreement with the quotes and themes provided to the
participants. According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016), this is the best way of ruling out the
possibility of misinterpreting the meaning of data. The second method focused on adequate
engagement and data collection. Once data were collected and analyzed for five participants, the
study reached saturation. There were no major themes or subthemes identified. Subsequent
participant data reinforced the themes that had emerged at that point. The third method involved
articulating my biases, dispositions, and assumptions regarding the study. This enables an
understanding of how I interpreted the data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Ethics
The participants’ informed consent was leveraged through the USC Institutional Review
Board’s (IRB) process. I used existing forms that integrated enough information so that
participants could make an informed decision to participate in the study voluntarily. This was
done before any research was conducted, and I collection signed consent forms from the
participants. Sufficient information in writing, verbal, and utilizing media described the purpose
35

of the research. In addition, the procedures involved were addressed along with facilitating
questions and answers with the participants. Complete transparency on the purpose of the study
prevented the participants from thinking they were being deceived or coerced (Creswell &
Creswell, 2018). Every effort was made to ensure the process was free of coercion.
Confidentiality was part of a structured plan designed to ensure that data recorded,
collected, stored, analyzed, used, and reported about the participants were free from accidental
disclosure. Before each interview, permission to record was verbally stated, and transcription
data, interview recordings, and notes were stored in my university password-protected Google
Drive account. Only I had access to the data. Information that could identify the participants was
protected. The participants’ names were omitted from notes and other documentation and were
not part of the dissertation. I assigned participants pseudonyms for identification purposes. This
confidentiality system and procedure were disclosed to the participants.
A compensation component was part of the study to incentivize participants for their time
and access to information. This plan was submitted to the USC IRB office in the study’s
application. Compensation items included nominal electronic gift cards. As it relates to power
dynamics or coercion, I know that my role as a college administrator can influence participants
or faculty to support the study. Every effort was made to ensure that the participants and college
staff did not feel obligated to comply with the study in general or any part of it. Participants were
informed that they had the right not to participate in this study at any time or not answer any of
the interview questions. To ensure accurate and ethical interpretation of interview data, member
checking ensures that the researcher’s notes, transcription, and understanding are correct
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Participants were allowed to review and respond to my
interpretation of the interview.
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Lastly, in the USC IRB process, I provided the structure to ensure that any previously
mentioned items were adhered to according to protocol. Furthermore, I consulted with the
dissertation committee chair whenever I had questions or needed clarification on items. In
addition, I consulted with the USC IRB office to ensure that every protocol was followed.

37

Chapter Four: Findings
This study’s findings reflected a diverse set of experiences from each one of the
participants. The findings include interviews with nine participants attending either CC or
university-level higher education institutions. The majority of the participants were from CCs.
The target participant pool was originally set at 10 African American and Hispanic women
students in STEM programs. The decision was made to stop recruitment at nine participants, as
sufficient data had been obtained to reach saturation. Enough information was obtained to
identify core and subthemes related to the research questions.
Topics analyzed as part of the literature review re-emerged as interconnected and
supportive themes with the study’s conceptual framework. The participants’ depictions of their
experiences were interconnected with the problem of practice’s focus on minority women who
are disenfranchised and marginalized. The educational structures at times perpetuated the
participants’ negative experiences. These negative experiences manifested in a variety of
emotional, ST, and in some cases, counteractive coping measures. The participants’
intersectional identities also surfaced throughout their educational journeys. Foundational themes
related to the conceptual framework included relationships with professors, social capital
leveraging, self-care, and access to resources. Furthermore, core themes focusing on impostor
syndrome, student fortitude, and being recognized by professors were also paramount.
The research questions were intentionally designed to explore and understand factors
related to African American and Hispanic women not completing STEM programs in higher
education. In addition, the questions focused on analyzing the prevalence of ST among this
population while pursuing STEM programs in higher education. The interviewees provided rich
38

information that informed these guiding questions. The following research questions guided this
study:
1. What are the central factors that affect African American and Hispanic women not
completing STEM and related technology and computer science majors in CC and
university programs?
2. How prevalent is ST among African American and Hispanic women in STEM and
related technology and computer science majors in CC and university programs?
The proceeding sections introduce each one of the participants and the relevant
experience related to the inquiry. Subsequent sections explore each one of the research questions
by introducing the findings and analysis related to each core theme. At the conclusion of each of
the research question sections is a summary of the findings. Lastly, at the chapter’s conclusion is
the closing summary of the study’s findings.
Participants
The interviewees were interviewed during the spring and summer 2023 semesters.
Participants were required to self-identify as African American or Hispanic women, at least 18
years old, pursuing a STEM major in higher education. The study initially focused on
community colleges, but to expand the participant pool, students from 4-year universities were
also accepted. The experiences of African American and Hispanic women in STEM programs at
both levels of higher education were still appropriate to account for in the study. Participants
from the original community colleges targeted at LACCD, Colleges A, B and C totaled six. Two
students were from a public University in New York City, New York, and one participant was
from a public university in California. The average age of the participants was 25 years old, and
eight out of nine identified as Hispanic.
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Recruitment consisted of direct contact with faculty and staff, student clubs, and flyer
dissemination at Colleges B and C. College A’s recruitment strategy only involved recruitment
via student email accounts based on course enrollment in STEM courses. Lastly, the intended
recruitment included STEM overall, and an attempt was made to recruit computer science and
technology-related students majoring in those fields. The majority of the interviewees majored in
a STEM computer science or technology-related field. The other STEM majors were included, as
there continues to be an underrepresentation of women and African American and Hispanic
women in general in those fields as well.
During the second phase of the study, recruitment efforts were expanded to include
connecting with minority women STEM organizations through social media and dissemination
of the study’s information through professional networks. This expanded effort yielded two
students from a university in New York City, New York and one from a public university in Los
Angeles County, California. Table 2 provides an overview of the participant demographics for
this study. Nine participants were interviewed as part of this study. All interviews were
conducted virtually via the Zoom platform. Most participants were comfortable enough to have
their video on, while one had it off. This flexibility was explained and provided ahead of time via
the interview invitation. I assigned each participant a pseudonym for confidentiality purposes.

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Table 2
Participant Overview (N = 9)
Pseudonym Age Ethnicity Major Community college (CC)
or university (U)
Angie 41 Hispanic Full stack developer CC
Grace 20 Hispanic Computer science CC
Rubina 25 Hispanic Cybersecurity CC
Mariana 33 Hispanic Computer science CC
Abigail 20 Hispanic Engineering CC
Magdalena 20 Hispanic Molecular biology CC
Michelle 23 African American Physics U
Carmen
Elisa
22
21
Hispanic
Hispanic
Computer graphics imaging
Architecture Engineering
U
U

Participant Descriptions
The following section introduces each participant to provide a general context of who
they are and highlights some of the initial experiences they shared in the interviews. In
subsequent sections, the findings are categorized by the research question and describe the
participants’ experiences in their STEM programs. The descriptions further analyze areas that
might impact enrollment and completion in those programs. In addition, the analysis focuses on
the student’s experiences as it relates to identity and the impact of ST as it relates to their
intersectional identities.
Angie
At the time of this study, Angie was pursuing an associate degree and had taken a number
of computer science-related courses to date. Angie was enrolled at College C. Angie was
exposed to the program by doing general research at her local CC. She was especially drawn to it
because of it being affordable. She stated, “Let’s see what this program has to offer, especially if
it’s not going to cost me a whole lot.” In terms of exposure to the STEM field, she credits the
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media with playing an active role. She shared that the media exposed her to different occupations
like “software engineering” and related fields. In her description of exposure to STEM, she
gravitates to being a facilitator to sharing what she knows with her family:
I want to be able to open that door to, you know, I have nephews now, and I have a little
niece as well. I want to be able to pass that on and say there’s other things that you can do
besides the same careers that you’re exposed to.
Angie came across as having a strong devotion to giving back to her family and being a
role model. In terms of preparation for college, she described her experience as being one in
which she had to do it on her own. She stated, “If you wanted to go to college, again, you have to
go look for it yourself.” Her experience was a common one in terms of college preparation when
compared to the others. A consistent theme among the respondents involves feeling like one of
many trying to get the same support and having to take the initiative for any post-secondary
planning.
Grace
Grace was enrolled at College B and started off majoring in computer science but
changed to a math major. Both majors are still within the STEM field. She attributed this change
in majors because of not being prepared with foundational computing courses:
I think, the fall of 2022, I was set to take math 173, which is object-oriented
programming C++. However, I struggled in that class because I wasn’t formally taught
the basics or really the foundation of C++.
Grace’s counselor identified her struggles and recommended that she major in math,
instead. In terms of general influence for a STEM major, Grace credited her sister and a close
friend for encouraging her to pursue this field. Grace recalled a conversation with her friend
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where he mentioned that pursuing a STEM major in computer science allowed him to be
financially secure. She recalls being drawn toward having financial stability, “I want to be
financially secure.” Grace’s college preparation experience in high school was a bit mixed. She
was exposed to Advanced Placement (AP) classes. However, she stated, “There was not a variety
of those courses to take.” This resulted in her not being in a position to fully explore her career
aspirations at a young age. The lack of general student support and college-level courses at the
secondary level was a theme among some participants.
Rubina
Rubina was enrolled in College B. In addition to cybersecurity courses, she stated, “I had
to take science and engineering before I thought I was going to be a mathematical engineer.” She
referenced being part of a student STEM club called Mathematics, Engineering, Science,
Achievement (MESA). During the interview, Rubina shared that she had recently transitioned to
another CC in the region. However, she had already completed most of her STEM program at
College B. In that specific region, it is common for students to explore other CCs since there are
other options within a 10- to 15-mile minute radius.
Rubina credited being exposed to her major in cybersecurity through a work-based
learning program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, when she was in high
school. She recalled the experience: “They were having, like, in the middle of it, they were
having like an attack.” She referred to a simulated cyberattack. She recalled being immersed in
the latest equipment and technology and being impressed. She recalled her college preparation
experience as not helpful: “We’d have to basically be on our own, getting outside help because,
for them, it was a magnet. Computer science was like a privilege to be in.” Rubina is referring to
being in an information technology magnet high school program. She recalled not having enough
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AP courses. As a result, she took CC courses to meet college entrance requirements. Soon after
she transitioned to CC, she realized that it did not have a cybersecurity program, and she was
disappointed. She recalled being advised, “You could do computer science, but you can’t do
cybersecurity because nobody has it.” This resulted in her majoring in math instead:
So, I was, like, okay, then I guess I’ll do math. I was good at math. But then, like, my
first year I started, I failed two of my math classes, and then they wanted to move me out
of STEM. They wanted me to go into child development.
Rubina recalled this experience as negative due to her feeling like she was being pushed out of
her career major of choice. She recalled not having much recourse, “And then, but I didn’t know
who to tell at that time. So, I was just like, I’m just going to prove them wrong, and I’m just
going to do it on my own.” Other students referenced similar experiences. Some were
encouraged to change majors, when they were having academic challenges early in their STEM
major.
Mariana
Mariana was enrolled at College B. She recalled being interested in computers at an early
age. She acknowledged that even though there was pressure to explore other areas, she was
interested in computing, “Everybody else is doing psychology or, or business.” She credited
being exposed to STEM programming at College B during a visit with her daughter:
Yeah, … it was for my daughter, and I saw they offered classes. They had their whole list
of classes, and she wanted to do something like that. So, then, that’s how I started
learning about their programs and their classes. And then the students there were teaching
those courses where, you know, they were also taking courses at that school and doing
their majors in computer science or, or engineering and stuff like this. It was pretty cool.
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By chance, this experience at College B further reinforced Mariana’s long interest in pursuing a
program in STEM computing. Mariana also shared that during high school, she had an
opportunity to enroll in college courses through a dual-enrollment college program. Beyond that
direct college exposure, she did not feel like she had sufficient student support: “It was more
like, oh, we’re offering this so you could take these classes. And that’s, you know, that’s as far as
that was what I got.” Mariana’s experience resonated with the impact of having children at an
early age. It was evident that she had to delay her post-secondary plans for a while. Fortunately,
a STEM event for young children at her local CC reengaged her with her earlier computing
career aspiration.
Abigail
Abigail’s original major of choice was aerospace, but she learned that there were more
job opportunities in mechanical engineering and switched majors. She also credited networking,
“I talked to someone who majored in mechanical engineering and graduated. And she was
essentially telling me that there were more jobs available and that aerospace is very restricted to
military.” Abigail was also influenced by her older sister, as she is a chemical engineer. She
shared, “And seeing her graduate and get, like, her first big job and move to a different city is
what definitely motivated to continue to pursue my own major.” She had a strong role model in
her sister, which established a foundational path for her career aspirations. As far as general
college preparation, Abigail shared that there were not enough student support services available
at her high school. She recalled difficulty meeting with her counselor: “I would have to, like,
make appointments with my counselor, but they would always get canceled because they’d
bumped someone in front of me up in front of me, and I definitely needed that help.” Abigail
Arthur shared that due to a lack of foundational exposure to college preparation, there was a
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heavy reliance on basic items like financial aid applications, college essays, cover letters, and
general direction. To her credit, she found other ways to get support, “I had to attend like
workshops, instead of going to the counselors.” A theme in this area among the participants is
their ability to be resourceful and seek support when it is not readily available.
Magdalena
Magdalena was enrolled at College B. She stated that she is “indigenous” and from a
Central American country. For the purpose of this study’s demographic profile, the classification
selected is Hispanic. She shared that while in high school, she took college computer science-
related courses. Magdalena credited being exposed to her sister’s STEM educational path during
the Upward Bound college preparatory program. She was later selected to also join the program.
However, her school was underserved in terms of student support services: “I personally don’t
think the counselors helped a lot with preparing, or the teachers themselves with preparing with
stepping into the college, higher education level, just because we didn’t have a higher education
there, too.” Magdalena’s story is similar to some of the other participants in terms of being
proactive and researching opportunities on their own. She described conducting research on the
entrance requirements for entering medical school. This activity, along with her college
preparation program exposure and her sister as a role model, facilitated her selection of a major
in STEM. An interesting disclosure was her family’s position on a woman’s career aspiration:
Yes, for my family. They wanted me to become a teacher just because over there, my
parent’s pueblo, the majority of those who are women, they will enroll in there, mostly
teachers. They don’t go into, like, STEM majors because they think that women aren’t
allowed to do that. So that’s like a very machismo way of thinking.
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Magdalena’s family supported her pursuit of higher education. However, there were still some
expectations that women should pursue social science career fields. Regardless, Magdalena
presented herself as very driven and determined to pursue what she set her mind to.
Michelle
Michelle attended a university in New York City, New York. She credited her interest in
STEM as a child to experiences with her mom, “This all started when I was very little. My mom
used to take me to Barnes and Noble in the public library to read scientific books. … We’d read
all major science books.” It was through these experiences with her mother that she knew that
she wanted to pursue astronomy or other “space stuff.” Michelle was very aware of the
educational opportunities that she could pursue as her mother had a “short education journey.”
Michelle’s mother constantly emphasized the importance of education, and that helped her
through tough times:
So, like, I knew, like, even though I’ve been through, you know, hurdles, I, you know,
and like, such obstacles left and right, and they’d be days, like, I just wanted to give up
and drop out. But just seeing how my mom worked, because she was, she used to be a
cleaner, by the way, but now she’s not. When I see her, how she works so hard.
Michele’s college preparation experience did not focus on a STEM field because she attended an
arts magnet high school. Even though she was “really good at painting,” it did not build a strong
foundation for her physics program. However, she did credit the program with helping her build
strong “socialization skills.” These skills supported her as she navigated working with peers and
communicating with her professors in her STEM major. Michelle shared, “It prepped me when it
comes to how to, like, socialize with people.” Her experience in college revolves around
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advocating for herself and seeking out assistance in an unfamiliar system. This self-advocacy
skill continues to be a theme among the participants while pursuing their STEM major.
Carmen
Carmen attended a university in New York City, New York. She chose a technology-
focused STEM field because of her exposure to the design industry. She was drawn to the
technological aspects of the industry: “I was influenced by the media because of computer
graphics and computer-generated imagery.” She emphasized using computer imagery platforms
to develop “special effects” as seen in the film industry. What stood out from Carmen’s response
to her focus in this field was the omission of family influence. Most of the other respondents
cited family as being an influence or playing a role, but Carmen focused more on the industry
component. This factor is key due to external entities playing a dominant role in influencing an
individual’s career path. Carmen also reiterated a common experience among the participants
with regard to a lack of adequate educational, college and career guidance support while in high
school:
I felt like that experience was hard because we all had one. I think we all have the same,
like, advisor for college. So, we didn’t really get any personalized attention on what to
do. It kind of just felt like, okay, you need to apply for colleges here. And you got to do
your SAT, and then just let us know, like, which community college you’re applying to.
… So, it wasn’t really like one-on-one, like, you wouldn’t be able to talk about what
you’re passionate about, or really go into details, more like it’s up to you, just do
whatever you want.
This lack of sufficient counseling support in high school can have long-term impacts on a
student’s educational path. In Carmen’s case, she changed her major after she transferred to a
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university. At that point, she realized that she did not have the skill, interest, or motivation in the
programming or technical side of the computing field. She also shared, “And in general, I
haven’t been … a strong math student.” This realization of her program having a math focus and
integration of coding later in her educational journey caused feelings of “frustration” and being
“anxious.” These negative feelings were common sentiments from the participants as they
navigated academic subjects for which they were not prepared.
Elisa
Elisa attended a public university in Los Angeles County, California. She credits having
been interested in engineering since childhood and always wanting to “build stuff.” Elisa also
credits her general interest in math and being drawn to a field that could blend an engineering
component with her mathematic skills. She credits her family with supporting her career choice,
although they did not have high levels of formal education. Elisa made an interesting statement
regarding her friends having similar interests in STEM fields: “I think growing up, we all
influenced that we would all go into STEM.” This common interest among her peers made her
decision to pursue STEM a bit easier. Her family also played a significant role, and she cited her
parents advocating for a field that “would be their long-term and reliable.” When I asked her to
clarify what she meant by that, she stated, “technologies keep advancing, same with structures,
we're always going to have buildings.” She further clarified that her parents wanted her to go into
a career path where there was going to be a stable career and job opportunities in the future. This
last statement resonated with other participants who referenced selecting their STEM major and
parents encouraging them due to the financial stability it could bring. Lastly, like other
participants, Elisa shared that there was inadequate support with college and career direction
while in high school. She stated that her “parents weren't aware” of college options. She also
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relied on her friends for guidance and “learned through them.” This theme of leveraging peer
support and resources continued for many of the college participants.
Participant Description Summary
The biographical descriptions of these students provided a window into their diverse
experiences. Many participants provided testimony of being exposed to STEM-related fields at
an early age. Each introduced key members of their family, which provided the foundational
motivation that would take them to where they are today. Whether it was a sibling, or a mother,
having an adult who supported these early interests was key. Friends with common interests and
similar backgrounds were also part of the participants’ lives and helped with future plans. Each
of their experiences paints a picture of navigating the secondary level with little to no support
from their high school and finding ways to be resourceful. Key traits that stood out from each
participant at that stage were resiliency, self-advocacy, and determination.
The participants also referenced a common theme with regard to the recognition of low
socioeconomic resources. Whether it was in their direct family structure or the recognition of a
lack of resources and support at their schools and communities, it was a clear motivator. Many
participants were first-generation college students and did not have the generational benefit of
navigating the higher education landscape. The following section describes diverse experiences
and factors related to the participants enrolling, staying, and completing their STEM credentials.
Themes of belonging, lack of support, and resourcefulness surfaced across the participants’
experiences.
Findings Research Question 1
The first research question asked about the central factors that affect African American
and Hispanic women not completing STEM and related technology and computer science majors
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in CC and university programs. The focus of Research Question 1 was on exploring and
understanding factors that can prevent an African American or Hispanic woman from completing
a STEM program of study. The analysis focused on answers to Interview Protocol Questions 1,
5, 6, 8, 1 and 12. Table 3 provides the descriptions of the isolated interview questions for this
analysis.

Table 3
Analysis for Research Question 1
Interview question

Question
Interview Question 1

Think back to your first semester in college. What was that experience like
for you?
Interview Question 5 How do you prepare for the academic demands of your STEM program?
Interview Question 6 Envision the perfect experience in a STEM program while in college. What
would that look like?
Interview Question 8 Reflecting back to when you started your program through today, describe
an experience when you felt that you belonged in the program. Assuming
that you have had at least one experience.
Interview Question 11 What would you advise an African American/Hispanic woman who is
considering a STEM major in college? What would they need to do to be
successful in the program?
Interview Question 12 Close your eyes for a moment and imagine that we are 20 years in the future
and had unlimited resources. Think about the ideal STEM program at a
college. What key components would be part of the program to ensure
student success for African American and Hispanic woman students?

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These research questions were strategically selected, as answers to these questions
facilitated exploring key experiences and insights that could have an impact on completing a
program of study. Three major themes and accompanying subthemes were identified. The
themes are the following, (a) relationships with professors and staff, (b) social capital leveraging
and self-care, and (c) access to resources. The following are synthesized description findings of
each theme associated with Research Question 1.
Relationships With Professors and Staff
Open relationships, seamless communication, and access to professors and staff were
major themes throughout the interviews. Access to educational staff, which includes professors,
counselors, and student advisors, plays an important role in students feeling comfortable as they
begin their college journey. In addition, their experiences reaffirmed the likelihood that they
would reach out when they needed support. Furthermore, relationships with professors from
diverse ethnic backgrounds, inclusive of women, also contributed to the participant’s relational
comfort level.
Grace painted a picture well in terms of what she expects and likes about college
professors and staff. She also expanded on the role that support staff, such as teaching assistants
or student interventionists, play when it comes to key relationships:
I feel like it would have to look like a professor who is supportive of their students, and
when, when it’s, like, class time or just lecture. You know, professors should be able to
not just read off slides, or like, you know, assignments, but really be there to answer
students’ questions and engage with them. Also, having a teacher assistant, or a student
interventionist, just someone who has taken the class as well to be there to, you know,
also be able to answer students’ questions.
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Grace’s depiction goes beyond the general academic roles of professors. There is an expectation
that they, along with other support staff, be willing and open to “engage” with them. This opens
opportunities for academic and non-academic support.
In the current environment of multiple modalities of instruction, such as in-person,
hybrid, and online, relationships with professors and staff open communication opportunities
through virtual realms. Angie provided insight on what she expects and likes from her
experience taking online courses:
Definitely positive. They’re very available. I think again, years back when I did my
degrees, there was, in a lot of online outreach, and especially having to work as a student
that was tough. But now that, you know, I can work, and then if I needed to ask this,
reach out to a counselor, I can do so online, and you just kind of knock on their, you
know, digital door and then they’re there, the chat is there. The availability is there. You
can email the answer within 24 hours. If it’s over the weekend or whatnot, it’s just
accessibility that has been really nice, too. And that’s the positive environment, and the
welcoming, you know, no question is a dumb question, and that’s just been really nice.
Angie’s description is interesting because she shed light on nontraditional hours when it
comes to reaching out to her professors. Typically, professors have standardized office hours
based on a set schedule. However, the online environment has provided accessibility with chat
functions and email communication which accommodates students who have scheduling
limitations. Another observation from Angie was her acknowledgement that “no question is a
dumb question.” Communicating in a digital manner reduces the pressure on the student, as they
might be intimidated by their peers or even by nonverbal cues from professors and staff.
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Communicating digitally removes many of the obstacles that can keep a student from reaching
out.
Magdalena referenced her interactions with student support personnel by name. This
communicates that she feels comfortable with checking in and conversing about her academic
progress. Magdalena states, “I’m grateful that the college does have supportive counselors. I do
go a lot and bother counselors, specifically Sammy from the STEM program. I go ahead and
bother her and ask her if I’m on the right track.” An observation is that she used the word
“bother” to describe her reaching out. My interpretation is that even though she feels like she is
bothering the counselor, because of their open and accessible relationship, it does not prevent her
from checking in.
Michelle shared an experience she had with a professor who was a Hispanic woman. The
open relationship that she had with this professor went beyond academic support:
I was told from this professor, she’s a Hispanic woman from BU, she told me that, you
know, don’t expect the world to accept you. In that case, create your own, create your
own world that will accept you. So, you know, … I see what her point of view on that.
So, you know, who cares what people who, you know, who disfavor you. Whatever, like,
you know, they, you know, you shouldn’t have them as much. You should have had them
in your mind, as taking up much of your time, and actually think about the ones who do
support who do care about you, put your energy into that because I promise you make
sure it makes journey much more smoother and easier.
The advice and message from this professor to Michelle was clear; she needed to develop a
sound coping mechanism because society cannot be as accepting as she would like it to be. This
advice had much to do with Michelle feeling comfortable and trusting this professor. The fact
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that she was a woman and Hispanic created an environment where Michelle was more open to
communicating issues surrounding her academic progress at that time.
Abigail provided specific recommendations when it came to having an ideal experience
in a STEM college program. Her focus was on having access to female professors:
Perfect experience, I’d say I don’t think there is a perfect experience. But I’d say coming
close to it would be a lot more women in my classes. And then more female professors.
I’m lucky enough to have had a female professor who were, like, in my advanced math
and science course professors, but I haven’t really come across an engineering professor
that’s female. So that would be really nice to see.
Abigail’s description and awareness of a lack of female professors in her program are noticeable.
Her description of having had one female professor and associating that with being “lucky”
reveals a strong comfort level. This supports the ongoing theme of the participants identifying
with professors and staff and how that supports communication opportunities.
The theme of having access to female professors as a way to establish and maintain open
relationships continued with participant Grace. Grace referred to the ideal professorship makeup
when she described the ideal STEM program:
I think in the future, it would be nice for there to be a diverse body of professors. Because
I think it’s important to have, you know, more female professors teaching, you know,
computer science. That way, you know, like, woman can feel empowered, and you know,
like, oh yes, I belong here. I see myself in, like, the professors that are teaching and also,
you know, just when we have access to a lot of resources, it really boosts us up into, you
know, being innovators, entrepreneurs, and all that.
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An observation from Grace’s response is her association between observing female professors
and the impact that has on students feeling a sense of empowerment. There is also a dynamic of
reinforcing one’s identity within the STEM field by connecting with someone who looks like
one.
Angie described that having a female professor can help instructional environments that
are predominantly male. She shared, “Coming into this major, you kind of have that perception
of I’m going to probably be the one, or, you know, the other girl that’s in this program.” Angie
discussed a sense of confidence in seeing other women or having a female professor: “I can do
this, I can be part of, you know, part of this, and they understand where I’m coming from.”
Each participant described different ways that relationships with professors and other
staff can support communication, which in turn impacts their confidence, academic performance,
and sense of belonging. These are all key areas to understand and account for as this can impact
a student’s likelihood of seeking assistance, being motivated, and perseverance to complete a
STEM program of study. The following section introduces the participants’ experiences with
leveraging social capital and utilization of self-care skills as a way to cope while they navigate
their STEM program.
Social Capital Leveraging and Self-Care Skills
Participants described many instances that involved leveraging social capital and the
importance of self-care. Both areas resonated with participants as they described ways to manage
the academic demands and challenges of their STEM programs of study. There were many
instances where the participants described the value of connecting with others who had similar
questions, challenges and concerns or just wanted to be part of a like-minded community. Grace
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described ways of connecting with peers via “group chats” as a tool that helped her
academically:
Trying to set up a group chat with, like, students in that class because I feel like that’s the
only way you can really learn because the professor can, you know, explain it. But I
think, you know, I remember someone set up a Discord group chat with, like, everyone
and shared it to the whole class. I joined it, and I really learned from that. I was able to,
like, clarify questions. I was able to, you know, support them. They worked with me if I
needed, like, oh, can you check my code really quick? You know, someone would be
there to be, give me some, you know, advice. So, yeah, there was that, like, you know,
having a group chat, studying.
Engaging with peers outside of class time provided students with immediate feedback on
topics related to their class and during nontraditional schedules. Other participants referenced the
utilization of a Discord group as well. Discord is an online community platform that allows
communication based on a subject or theme. Some participants mentioned that this was a
common tool that was either set up by a classmate or by a professor to better facilitate dialogue
around the subject matter. Grace’s response included a reference to “someone would be there,”
emphasizing accessibility outside of traditional office hours. Mariana described being part of a
Discord group that helped her expand the application of the instructional lesson into application:
So, we’re doing different things and projects, and you learn a lot, you get into it more, as
opposed to what you’re doing in school and like theories, and just, you know, it’s pretty
cool. Yeah, we’re doing more … feels, like, well, you know, we’re learning still, but
yeah, it’s fun. And everybody has different, you know, it’s, and it’s from all over the
world. So, it’s not just, like, there’s people from … there’s different time zones. Like, we
57

have people that join in, two in the morning and like, you know, they’re in a different
country or, you know, and they have their style. It’s different.
Mariana’s description of belonging to a Discord group also focused on collaborating with people
from “all over the world.” This reference was interesting. Exposure and motivation outside of
their learning environment create opportunities for further learning and identity building. The
students are building communities where marginalized individuals feel valued and are not the
minority.
Rubina described a similar structure but in a more traditional sense. She described the
formation of a study group and its functions:
In STEM in college, we kind of created our own little study group, and it was like, it was,
we made sure that all of our classes were back-to-back. So that we wouldn’t have time to
just kick around and sleep in and whatnot. That’s how we would keep each other in
check.
Rubina’s approach included being intentional with the membership’s class scheduling. They
made sure that they had similar schedules and that the schedules did not have too much of a gap
in between. This supported them by staying on task and not having time to do other
nonproductive activities. Her description includes keeping each other “in check,” which
translates into holding each other accountable.
Michelle had a similar example when connecting to a sense of belonging in her STEM
program. She shared, “But for sure, in my study group, that’s when I formed friends, connection
with students, that’s for sure.” The testimonials by the participants demonstrate that the
utilization of general groups, online Discord groups, and environments where peers can come
together are beneficial. By taking advantage of social capital systems, the students benefited
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from a sense of belongingness, academic support, and further identity in STEM formation. All
these areas help support students as they progress through program completion. The next section
introduces self-care as a common issue among the participants.
Multiple participants referenced the theme of self-care and acknowledgement of socio-
emotional characteristics. They described it in different ways, but it was related to self-care and
how it relates to coping with challenges while in a STEM program of study.
Many of the participants described various levels of negative emotions as they began
their STEM program of study in college. Rubina described the issue of burnout:
But also be mindful of burnout because it can sometimes take a toll really badly. Try to
learn how to cope with burnout and try to learn how to see the signs of burnout before,
before dealing with it. It might, you might not be, you might not have burned out, but
somebody else might have, and you could be there.
Rubina also made a recommendation to have “destress room” integrated into a college STEM
program to support students that are feeling the pressure of the academic environment. Abigail
added, “Also, it’s very easy to, like, not take care of yourself when you’re constantly focused on
everything else in terms of university. So, I think that’s also another piece of advice, is just to
remember to, like, breathe and eat.”
Michelle described her first semester in college as “very tough for me” to the point where
it impacted her sleep. She highly recommended that ideal STEM programs have spaces for
“emotional support.”
Elisa described the difficult transition as she started her STEM program at the beginning
of the pandemic. She described her first year as being “very difficult” due to it being primarily
online. After her first year in college, she transitioned to on campus housing, and she described it
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as “difficult navigating on your own.” These experiences prepared her for the reality that she
would need to navigate this new landscape on her own and take initiative with self-care and
academics. Elisa described a positive experience where she had a sense of belonging and peer
support:
There’s a program that's for engineers, and it’s actually a Hispanic club for engineers.
And that's the only place where I've actually felt that, like I can, I can resonate with other
people. And aside from that, like everyone else in class, it's different, but it's only in that
specific gathering that I do feel the difference, … and it's like, they, we just meet up and
we have study sessions, and the environment is lighter.
Elisa strongly encourages women of color STEM students to “not be afraid to go out and
do your own thing” and “find your people.” She describes this as a way ‘to get you through …
emotionally.” She also connected an ideal STEM environment as a “place where you feel like
you are okay and you're at home.” This description resonated with some of the other participants
as well, due to the focus on having a comfortable and safe environment where they felt
welcomed.
Having access to self-care resources is vital for students in general, but especially
students who are transitioning into new environments. The transition to college can feel
overwhelming if they are not equipped with the appropriate coping mechanisms to address stress,
anxiety, and the common pressures of being in college. If students do not have the knowledge
and skills to identify negative emotional issues or are not equipped with effective self-care
coping mechanisms, it can disrupt their progress in their STEM program of study. The following
section introduces the participants’ input as it relates to having access to resources while in a
STEM program.
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Access to Resources
The participants described multiple ways that having access to instructional and
experiential resources has helped them. They also provided suggestions on how ideal college
STEM programs should be equipped, along with opportunities for students to participate in
work-based learning (WBL) opportunities. The following section describes the impact of
instructional equipment and materials.
STEM programs are defined by being at the forefront of technology and industry
standards. These programs need to be current with relevant equipment and materials to ensure
that students are exposed and trained as they transition into the workforce. Abigail shared that
she would like to be exposed to more “lab experiments” and have access to “better equipment.”
She expanded,
Definitely more resources in terms of lab equipment and also resources for the professors.
I’ve had professors in the past who tend to have a lot of trouble with the with the tech that
they use, to literally just display the lecture on the on the wall on the screen because of
how old and outdated the equipment is.
Grace explained that access to instructional materials is also key:
And also, you know, having access to write code, you know, be able to write code
because, not all students are able to, you know, have a computer, or, you know, they’re
not too sure of how to, you know, download like the software.
Grace’s response sheds light on a common issue in STEM programs. Depending on the program,
there can be expensive software that is needed for students to design, program, or code.
Sometimes students might not have access to these items at home, so they depend on the colleges
for access. Angie provided strong recommendations in this area:
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Definitely having the technology like a lab with all the technology that we can’t afford at
home. So some somewhere where we can go and use those, like updated computers and
with all the software needed. Anything like STEM-related labs, just basically a lab where
you can go and be creative and create and learn and definitely have, maybe have it open
24/7. So you know, you don’t know when inspiration is going to strike.
Angie’s suggestion to have it accessible during nontraditional hours further expands on the
reality that some students do not have access to these resources at home. Students who have
access to these resources at home can explore, innovate, and practice with their experiments and
projects. This can be a hindrance for students who do not have access to these resources at home
and have limited access at colleges. Angie recommended that college labs “mirror industry” with
the equipment and technology. She shared, “I don’t want to be working on old software, and then
when I go into the job place, it’s kinda like, wait, they’re like, oh, yeah, that was so 20 years
ago.” This response draws attention to students positioning themselves to not be further
disadvantaged as they transition into the workforce. For minority women students in STEM,
every effort needs to be made to ensure that they do not have additional disadvantage as they
transition into the job market.
Mariana shared a similar experience of missing an opportunity to experiment because of
a lack of resources and infrastructure at the college:
I took PC maintenance class and had a hard time because we’re trying to take the
computers apart, but then they kept searching for rooms. So, then we didn’t get to do that,
and I really missed out on that. Like, we had to do it through the book. So it’s a different
experience from a book to actually doing it.
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This example sheds light on the need for colleges to have appropriate instructional and lab
spaces for students to apply what they are learning. Doing so gives them an opportunity for trial
and error and to get acquainted with similar STEM environments aligned with the industry. The
following section describes resources as it relates to WBL opportunities.
Opportunities for students to get exposure to the industry through job shadowing,
internships, and career exploration activities are critical. These WBL experiences allow students
to get exposed to environments that are new to them, develop a comfort level, and help them
reaffirm their career trajectory in STEM. As it relates to African American and Hispanic women
in STEM, this also provides an opportunity for an employer and the industry overall to be
exposed to a diverse workforce. Angie described what this would look like in the ideal STEM
program:
The perfect STEM experience, I think, would be exposure to others that are already are
already in the field. You know, having like workshops or keynote speakers, perhaps like
seminars or also keeping with the tutoring stuff, the resources, job help, definitely giving
us like internships, over the summer, or perhaps like part time, maybe like some flexible
hours where we can, you know, if we can do 10 hours a week, or, you know, even 5 to 7
volunteer hours, just to get that exposure to see, like, if this is something that we liked,
this is something we can do. And it also kind of, I think, it would bring down that anxiety
of like, once I’m done, what, what is out there to kind of to do next? Or how do I get my
foot in the field? Like I have all this knowledge now. But how do I get my foot in the
field?
Angie’s focus on general exposure and being associated with mitigating anxiety levels is
important to note. For women of color in STEM programs, the knowledge of them being
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underrepresented in the industry and underprepared to enter the workforce can be intimidating.
Organized opportunities in WBL can help make the transition a smoother process for women in
STEM. Rubina also recommended ideal STEM programs to have “a place for internships.”
Michelle framed it within the context of research and professional development opportunities:
Definitely, like, you know, I say resources, but what I mean by resources, I mean, like,
you know, these subjects, research, experience opportunities, conference opportunities,
skills, training opportunities, personal development, personal development opportunity as
well.
Some colleges have resources that allow students to participate in professional conferences,
external training, and research within industry. All these opportunities also fall within WBL
experiences. The key here is that students are getting initial exposure while in college, where
they can explore, experiment, make mistakes, and learn from them. These experiences can help
them as they prepare to transition into the workforce.
Findings Research Question 2
The second research question asked how prevalent ST is among African American and
Hispanic women in STEM and related technology and computer science majors in CC and
university programs. The focus of Research Question 2 centers around the prevalence of ST
among African American and Hispanic women in college STEM programs. As shown in Table
4, The analysis for Research Question 2 introduces Interview Protocol Questions 7, 9, and 10.
However, the analysis also reflected some of the questions that were used for Research Question
1, as some of the responses were also relevant to this section’s analysis.

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Table 4
Analysis for Research Question 2
Interview question

Question
Interview Question 7

Since you started the program, have there been times when you have
considered changing majors?
Interview Question 9

Reflecting back to when you started your program through today,
describe for me an experience when you felt that you did not
belong in the program. Assuming that you have had at least one
experience.
Interview Question 10

How would you describe your experience with your professors or
other college staff?

The interview questions were selected as each one provided an opportunity for the
respondents to describe experiences and dynamics that are related to ST. Stereotype threat is an
individual’s belief that a negative stereotype about a group of which they are a member is a
representation of who they are (Steele & Aronson, 1995). This area of focus for Research
Question 2 is important, as members of minority communities are often depicted by negative
stereotypes. Minority women who experience ST can be negatively impacted in their pursuit of
STEM program completion (Beasley & Fischer, 2012). Three major themes and accompanying
subthemes were identified. The themes are the following, (a) impostor syndrome, (b) STEM
student fortitude, and (c) recognition by professors. The following are synthesized description
findings of each theme associated with Research Question 2.
Impostor Syndrome
Unfortunately, many of the participants shared depictions of impostor syndrome as a
direct reference or by describing experiences. According to Chandra et al. (2019), impostor
syndrome is successful individuals’ feeling that they are a fraud and undeserving of their
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achievements, despite that not being the case. This negative feeling is directly related to ST
because it can reaffirm negative stereotypes about the individual based on gender, ability, or
ethnicity. The students who were interviewed recounted various experiences while in college.
Their level of achievement and accomplishment was that they made it to higher education in
general. The following are depictions of those experiences.
Grace described an interaction with one of the professors during one of her math classes.
The following was her response to belongingness in the STEM program:
Yeah, um, I think it was when I was taking or while I was taking that math class. There
was one time where like, I was just really, really struggling. And I didn’t perform well on
one of the projects. And the professor, I don’t know if he had meant to call me out or
what, I just felt like, called out because he said, you know, some coders here are really
weak. I don’t know, I felt, like, oh wow, I’m, like, I don’t have potential. And so that was
when I was like, like, do I, I felt like do I really belong here? Like, why am I even trying?
Grace’s description focused on her struggles with a coding assignment. What was interesting was
that even though the professor did not refer to her specifically by name, she automatically
assumed that she was being included in the category of a “weak” coder. This resulted in her
questioning if she even belonged there. Angie had a similar experience and directly referenced
impostor syndrome when describing a sense of not belonging in the program:
Definitely in the beginning. I think having like that impostor syndrome. Like, what am I
doing here? Am I really learning a programming language? Like, am I really going to
build a website? And you know, what did I just do to myself, like I just, you know, sign
up and just that overwhelming feeling.
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Angie’s example not only referenced her experience at that moment, but she also projected the
feeling of uncertainty and questioned future actions. Rubina had a similar experience in the
classroom, where she was exposed to gender-based remarks, which led to her questioning her
abilities and if she belonged. While reflecting on an activity involving cabling and using supplies
she had just purchased, Rubina stated, “I just bought this for nothing, like I don’t belong to this
field.”
Magdalena’s experience revolved around her comparing herself to other male students in
the program, “The fact that they were telling me, I love engineering, engineering is for me. Right
away, they knew what they wanted to do.” This was an interesting response as Magdalena
recognized that the other male students were very confident with their career goals. So confident
that it made her question her lack of confidence as it related to her career goal. The message was
clear, having a sense of belonging resonates with affirming one’s career goal. If you don’t have a
sense of belonging, it can have an impact on one’s confidence level in pursuing a career or major
objective. Michelle shared an interesting dynamic in the classroom as it relates to knowing that
you have the capability and knowledge but at the same time recognizing that it is not enough:
That’s what I’m kind of trying to say at, you know, so it kind of made me feel like, you
know, the impostor syndrome, I’m incompetent, but at the same time, I’m kind of getting
like, punished for you know, for knowing certain things. It’s weird. It’s, like, a weird. It’s
like a real situation.
When asked about her reference to impostor syndrome, Michelle expanded even more:
Sometimes, not sometimes every single day, unfortunately. Like, I just came back from
this program, NASA program. It’s like an in-person NASA program right at Boston
University. And I was feeling the impostor syndrome crazy. I legit thought, you know,
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me going to, like, an unknown small school compared to people who went to, like, you
know, top brand schools, you know, they know their stuff and things. And there’s me,
like, being lost and confused. And I, you know, I don’t know. Yeah, I always feel it,
unfortunately, from class from programs. And yeah, I feel all the time, unfortunately.
Michelle’s description stood out because of her acknowledgement of feeling impostor syndrome
“every single day” and “all the time.” Her response also highlighted the fact that some students
have accepted it, and it is part of their identity. Fortunately, other students have learned to use
negative aspects like impostor syndrome to persevere in their STEM programs.
Elisa’s experience shed light on what can oftentimes be some women’s experience in
STEM. She describes situations where she felt that her professors “favored” male students over
female students. She described it in the following manner:
They have their favorites in terms of, some of them are, like, they prefer to communicate
with the males. When it's a female coming up to ask them, they don't give the same
response to them. And like they, like you notice the difference within a response that he
gives to a male rather than a female. … And then I would ask a male peer what they told
them, and it's something completely different.
Elisa then shared an example of other professors that are more inclusive: “So the responses are
the same. They're accurate. They're equal.” Her observation is that some professors tailor
responses in a way that favors males, and as a result it comes across as different and unequal.
This observation resonates with students like Elisa, as it can add to their feelings of not
belonging in the STEM program and further perpetuates feelings of impostor syndrome.
The following section discusses the theme of fortitude as experienced by the students.

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STEM Student Fortitude
The theme of fortitude and perseverance resonated with many of the participants. Their
responses and suggestions focused on using and developing coping mechanisms as ways to
counteract negative expectations and challenges. To counteract ST, some students built a sense
of resiliency and a “fortitude identity” to persevere in their programs.
Michelle provided insight into her motivation that resulted in her progressing through
challenging times:
I’m a first-generation. My mom, she had a short education journey. … She dropped out in
third grade. So, like, you know, from her standpoint, she believes that education is, like,
key. … So, she put so much energy emphasis on, like, education is powerful and key. So,
like, I knew, like, even though I’ve been through, you know, hurdles, … they’d be days
like, I just wanted to give up and drop out. But just seeing how my mom worked
[because] she was she used to be a cleaner, … but now … when I see her how she works
so hard. Like, basically she killed herself just to make ends meet, you know, have roof
over our head, food on the table, etc. It just tells me, like, yeah, I gotta do this for now,
and myself with my family, especially for my mom.
Michele’s experience is a common one for first-generation immigrant students. They have
experienced first-hand the negative impact of not having formal education and the economic
ramifications. As in Michele’s case, her recognition of her mother’s struggles and sacrifice
provided her with the motivation to persevere through her first semester in college.
Angie’s experience of leveraging the fortitude trait was associated with her recognition of
impostor syndrome. She follows up this recognition by the following:
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But the more that I did it [build a website], the more that I pushed through, and I said,
“No, I’m just going to build on what I learned the previous week” and take it day by
day.” And, you know, that feeling of slowly has gone away. But in the beginning, it
definitely was like, What, what am I doing? Why am I putting myself through this?
Angie’s response shed light on the positive impact of not overwhelming yourself with the task at
hand and completing it in smaller segments. She acknowledges that the negative impostor feeling
eventually passed.
Grace’s response to the question centered on advice for an African American or Hispanic
woman, centered on the acquisition of key traits and characteristics. Grace shared that students
would need “self-drive” and the interest to “learn something.” She added that by doing this, a
student would establish the “perseverance to succeed.”
Abigail had a unique approach when it came to persevering through her program. She
provided an example where she was proactive in class assignments, which resulted in a sense of
belongingness and confidence:
I guess the most prominent experience that comes to mind is when I first started my
doing lab experiments in physics. I’d always be the one to take the lead. I was the first
one to take the initiative if I saw that the other students in my group weren’t taking the
initiative. And I’d also be the one to the first one and do the calculations and then
encourage them to do their calculations as well. So, we could compare. And, so, like,
moments like that definitely made me realize, like, I’m more resilient than I thought I
was for the major because you definitely have to have, like, you know, perseverance and
resilience and discipline to major in a, in a field like that.
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Abigail used her leadership abilities to empower herself. This resulted in her feeling “capable”
and “confident in my abilities.”
Rubina provided some firm advice to Hispanic and African American women
considering a STEM major:
Always believing yourself, never stop trying. And no matter what anybody else says, it’s
for you. It’s going to come back to you. And other people’s opinions really shouldn’t
matter. What matters is what you want. At the end of the day, you’re only stuck with
yourself, not stuck with everybody else that was in that room for 8 hours.
Rubina’s focus on ignoring what others might say your think resonated among the participants.
Some of the participants had heard negative opinions about belonging or experienced passive-
aggressive behaviors by others. In her statement, she connected back to the individual, as the
individual is going to do the work and benefit accordingly. This was sound advice for aspiring
women in STEM programs and builds character through fortitude.
The theme of building character through fortitude to help students as they progressed
through academic challenges, ambiguous environments, and moments of not belonging impacted
how they dealt with ST. The participants’ answers provided insight into the reality of
acknowledging that the threat of stereotype will always be there. However, how one deals with it
is even more important. The following section introduces the theme of recognition by professors.
Recognition by Professors
The participants valued being “seen” by professors. They valued being recognized for
who they are and their cultures, experiences, skills, and abilities. This includes awareness of
limitations with skills, abilities, experiences, and general foundational academic exposure.
Students also valued seeing themselves in professors and staff. Especially if the professors and
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staff were members of non-white ethnic groups and if they were women. Having a passion and
an interest in the subject matter in general also resonated with some of the participants as it
reaffirmed their interest in a STEM subject. This recognition is important in the context of ST
threat because the participants used this identity and relationship affiliation with their professors
and staff to counteract the negative effects of ST. The following are depictions of some of the
participants’ experiences in this area.
Magdalena shared that she has had both negative and positive experiences with her
professors. She recalled some professors as being “too busy,” “not being there,” and lacking
“motivation.” When describing positive accounts, she recalls a professor that made a big
impression on her:
Yes, I’m lucky enough to have had right now a biology professor who you could see that
he has a love for biology. And the way he lectures … you say, it’s amazing. If anyone
comes up to me and asks like, what professor would you recommend. … So, there are
very, there are professors who are very caring and counselors who really do care for their
students. You just have to find them.
An observation of Magdalena’s response was that she connected her professor’s “love” for the
subject matter with his caring attitude in general. This was interesting, as there was an
association made with a positive and nurturing attribute. Having an interesting and caring aspect
of your personality can demonstrate to students that they belong and that they are available to
consult with. This is vital for students who might be experiencing ST and need direct or indirect
support. Magdalena added,
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Specifically for women, there should be definitely one-on-one tutoring sessions. I know
sometimes the sessions or group sessions, sometimes we as students want that one-on-
one because sometimes we’re afraid or shy to ask questions, and it can be hard.
Magdalena’s focus in this response centers around personalized attention due to a lack of
confidence and a sense of identifying with the stereotype of women being “afraid” or “shy.” Her
suggestion of individual academic support inhibits these negative stereotype feelings that can
surface in a group setting.
Rubina described intentional professor support through various activities:
I want to say it was better than then when I was at … because the professors that I
encountered in cybersecurity are more, like, trying to get that gender gap closed. And we
hold, kind of holding, what is kind of like an open house, but more like a show and tell.
And then we tried to get, like, everybody that we saw to come in and look at what it was
that we were doing.
Rubina’s description highlights a recognition of her professor, focusing on intentionally trying to
“close” the “gender gap.” The professor recognized them as women in STEM and provided them
with an outreach environment to showcase their skills and accomplishments. This experience
resonated with Rubina as she credited her professor with recognizing their minority status while
also empowering them via a “show and tell” experience.
Grace shared her experience getting support from professors and not feeling judged:
I mean, as far as, like, math, and all that, I felt like some of were really, really supportive.
… Whenever I asked for office hours or extra support, I felt like they were there, and I
never felt as if, I never felt like uncomfortable asking for help. Yeah, like, I didn’t feel,
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like, scared, like, as if they were gonna, you know, question like, oh, how do you not
know this? … I didn’t feel like, oh, I feel bad or anything like that.
An unfortunate comment stereotype about women and their math capabilities is that men are
more capable in math. Grace’s experience highlights her feeling of comfort and not being judged
by her professor when she had questions about the math subject. This is key as the likely
emergence of ST was counteracted by a professor who accepted and recognized her without
judgment.
Michelle described her relationships with professors and what it means to be “seen” by
them:
And the ones who do care, they actually seem like, I’m, like, you know, they see how
motivated I am, very driven. … They basically say, like, you know, like you are the
future, you know, like, you beat the obstacles, … you know, being low income, being
first gen, you know, being a Black woman, and much more to. Oh, yeah, with a disability
as well.
Michele’s description of her professors valuing her diversity and the overcoming of challenges
that she brings is impactful. There is a direct connection between who she was at that moment
and her being the “future.” She continues by describing some of her professors as being “proud
of me.” She concluded by emphasizing the relationship with one of her physics professors:
This is only with one professor who is a physics teacher, actually. And he’s the only one I
keep contact with because he’s the first one who actually have faith in me, you know,
like, you know, he didn’t discount me, compared to his peers. And yeah, he treated me
like, you know, he treated me like the rest of the students. He actually treated me like a,
you know, as a scholar. And, you know, he doesn’t let me feel, like, targeted or whatever.
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Michelle’s reflection about the relationship with her physics professor touched on having “faith”
in her, recognizing her scholarly abilities, and being treated as an equal. All of these positive
observations by Michelle reinforced her coping mechanisms as it pertains to ST.
Abigail shared her positive experiences with some of her professors and highlighted
female professors in STEM:
And I think I also mentioned earlier I’ve been lucky enough to have female professors for
my advanced math and science courses. And that’s definitely been a big help. They, it
just makes me feel very seen and understood. And they’re very, they’re helpful not in the
sense of just in the course material that we’re learning, but also, not only do they go out
of their way to help you, or get even better understanding of what they’re teaching, but
also they go out of their way to help you.
It was evident that Abigail felt a sense of identity and comfort with her female professors in the
context of being “seen” and “understood.” This recognition supports students like Abigail
identifying with the subject matter and not feeling isolated in a male-dominated field.
Relationships like this add to ST coping responses.
Recognition by professors is important for female students of color in STEM programs.
The result of these foundational attributes interwoven throughout a STEM program is a sense of
confidence, empowerment, identity, and belonging. These attributes can assist students in
equipping themselves with effective coping mechanisms to counteract ST.
Summary of Findings
The participants shared a diverse and unique landscape as it relates to their STEM
program of study. Within the framework of the completion of a STEM program, relationships
with professors, leveraging of social capital, self-care application, and access to resources stood
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out as cornerstone themes. Participants who can identify with diverse professors from different
ethnic backgrounds and genders opened opportunities for relationships. These relationships were
beneficial as they facilitated students confiding in them, reaching out for support, and being
valued by them. Accessibility to professors and staff also resonated throughout the participants’
responses. The participants highlighted many instances where they prioritized and recognized
self-care behaviors. This emerged in the form of relationships with peers, platforms for
communication, and safe spaces for dialogue. Recommendations in the form of personal and
emotional support resources and structures were recommended for ideal STEM program
development.
Access to industry-relevant equipment, instructional materials, and WBL experiences
was also cited as valuable components of a STEM program. For some participants, this industry
pre-exposure through tangible items and experiences allowed them to test uncertain
environments. This was closely connected to confidence building and reaffirming a sense of
identity in the STEM field.
The analysis of ST prevalence among the participants revealed consistent experiences.
These experiences were interrelated with impostor syndrome and students reacting by building a
sense of fortitude. Students who experienced impostor syndrome benefited from relationships,
activities, and learning environments that recognized and empowered them. The theme of
empowerment and building a sense of identity fortitude was prevalent among the participants.
There was a sense of acceptance and recognition that they had little control over some factors,
and as a result, they needed to equip themselves with effective coping mechanisms. Instances of
self-talk, motivation, and benefiting from direct acknowledgement by professors and staff helped
to establish and strengthen student fortitude. Lastly, continuing relationships with professors and
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staff and their ability to recognize students from a strength-based lens helped many of the
participants. This allowed students to build their confidence and identity and to receive
affirmation that they were where they belonged. Also, professors with diverse ethnic
backgrounds and those who were female empowered students’ sense of belonging. These themes
confirmed the existence of ST, but it also acknowledged ways that students counteracted and
coped with it.

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Chapter Five: Recommendations
The central objective of this study was to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the
experiences of African American and Hispanic women in higher education STEM programs.
Guided by the research questions, the investigation explored factors and reasons some African
American and Hispanic women enter but do not complete STEM college programs of study.
Furthermore, an analysis of the prevalence of ST among the participants was explored. Focusing
on this problem of practice is important due to the low number of women in STEM in general,
but specifically, an even lower number of women of color in STEM higher education programs.
This is also reflected in many STEM industry occupations. As a result, exploring and
understanding these issues will add to the body of research. This chapter begins with a discussion
of this study’s findings, their relationship with the literature, and the conceptual framework.
Subsequent sections include the study’s recommendations for practice, limitations, and
delimitations. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research and a conclusion
to the study.
Discussion of Findings
The participants revealed interesting dynamics and themes. Associated with Research
Question 1, relationships with professors were a foundational theme. Many participants
referenced accessibility and an open communication system with their professors and staff as a
support mechanism. This finding is aligned with the literature recommending that CC faculty be
more accessible (Wang, 2013). Some participants relied on having professors and staff whom
they could trust and depend on. This was key, as those relationships allowed the student to
confide with the professors about academic issues, personal issues, or reassurance about their
STEM career pathway. In some instances, the professors and staff played the role of an
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unofficial mentor through the involvement of unique STEM support programs. This finding is
aligned with the literature referencing intentional student support programs and mentorship
having a positive impact on undergraduate women in STEM programs (Guy & Boards, 2019).
In terms of alignment with the conceptual framework, a recommended practice through
the lens of CRT noted the benefit of mentorship for women of color in college STEM programs
(Villasenor et al., 2021). Some participants also noted that an ideal college STEM program
includes professors who are available and play an active role in the students’ lives. The
professors’ identities were also important. Female professors and those from minority ethnic
backgrounds resonated with many of the students. They identified with these professors, which
created reassurance, motivation, and a sense of drive. The literature supports having strong
women role models in the STEM industry. According to Beck et al. (2022), through the lens of
critical feminist theory, mentorship programs, peer mentoring, and online communities all play
supportive roles for women. An analysis of undergraduate women students in STEM and
exposure to women faculty found some positive impact on degree attainment (Sonnert et al.,
2007).
The participants were also strategic with their academic preparation and attention to self-
care. Many of the participants consistently referenced connecting with peers via traditional
groups and online platforms. There was a sense that they recognized that the in-person or virtual
classroom alone was not going to be sufficient to reach their academic and career goals. There
were consistent references to virtual platforms, such as Discord, where students found academic
support, a sense of belonging, and an environment where they could practice their academic
interest without judgment. This resonated in the analysis, as some participants offset gaps in their
academic experience by supplementing these with external virtual environments and
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relationships. This area has received attention in the literature and is referred to as STEM
counterspaces. According to Ong et al. (2018), these are either physical or virtual safe spaces
where women of color in STEM can create a sense of community that is free from toxic
environments and microaggressions. The authors added that these counterspaces support peer-to-
peer relationships, which provide the students with a sense of identity and belonging. Through
the lens of CRT, it is important to account for environments and structures in educational
settings, as those systems have excluded women of color in STEM (Ong et al., 2018). This
acknowledgement by the authors reinforces the conceptual framework for this study. This
connectedness with peers or through online communities also benefited some students as they
dealt with the emotional burden of their STEM programs of study. Some participants emphasized
personal and emotional support as ideal structures within STEM programming. Through their
individual experiences and general observations, it was apparent that they valued this component
as it relates to student success.
Lastly, access to resources in the form of equipment, instructional materials, and WBL
experiences resonated with the participants. Some participants described needing access to
equipment and instructional materials because they did not have access at home. Upon reflection,
this makes sense as individuals from low socioeconomic communities tend not to be exposed to
activities or resources that integrate some of the equipment and technology of STEM programs.
A few participants even referenced having access to these items via nontraditional schedules to
accommodate their schedules. Some participants recommended that STEM programs have
current state-of-the-art equipment, materials, and experimental learning environments to ensure
preparedness as they transition into the workforce.
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This finding focusing on access to equipment, technology, and relevant instructional
materials was not included in the initial literature review. However, since it emerged as a theme
among the participants, it warrants discussion. According to Avendano et al. (2019), ensuring
that underrepresented students have access to STEM equipment and technology early in their
STEM exploration phase is vital for them to be exposed to STEM fields, real-world applications,
and hands-on experiences. The authors further add that these experiences help reinforce the
relevancy of a STEM program with a career in STEM. The focus on having adequate resources
supports retention in STEM programs and provides some students with their initial exposure to
STEM fields where they can explore and innovate early. This also aligns with the conceptual
framework, which focuses on disenfranchised populations due to limited resources, lack of
quality college preparatory education, and systemic barriers to STEM enrichment activities.
The participants also referenced experiences that involved internships, job shadowing, or
industry speakers. It was clear that they wanted to get some pre-STEM industry exposure to
mitigate the anxiety of going into a field where they would be a minority. These types of
experiences fall under a common experiential practice known as WBL. According to Kettula and
Berghäll (2013), WBL refers to a genuine work-life element that includes a work placement and
real-life work projects and involves either working with clients or employers. As referenced in
the literature review, some of these WBL experiences also fall in the category of research
opportunities in STEM. Research opportunities provide students with exposure to industry
environments and projects and allow them to develop their curriculum vitae. As Espinosa (2011)
shared, these types of opportunities are beneficial for women in STEM as participation is
associated with an increase in women completing their STEM programs. Participation in WBL
research opportunities by women of color in STEM is also a recommended practice (Guy &
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Boards, 2019). The research literature supports the current study’s findings as it is aligned with
positively impacting completion rates in college programs. This can have an overall impact on
the problem of practice by increasing the number of women of color and STEM fields. The
participant descriptions were portrayed as a way to ease the transition into an uncertain world of
work. The more that these experiences can be made available to them, the more confident and
prepared they will be. The following section introduces the discussion focusing on findings
related to Research Question 2.
The prevalence of ST among African American and Hispanic women STEM students
encompasses a multifaceted structure. It was clear from the participants that ST continues to be
present in the academic environment. The study’s conceptual framework, based on ST theory
(STT) and intersectionality theory (IT), was aligned with the findings. The findings were aligned
with the research literature, which noted that ST manifests itself in minority women and can have
a direct impact on completion rates in STEM programs (Beasley & Fischer, 2012). This is
strongly associated with the overall problem of practice of having an underrepresentation of
women, particularly African American and Hispanic women, in the STEM industry.
Furthermore, many of the participants cited the impact of their salient intersectional
identities based on them being a woman, an ethnic minority, and in a few cases, an individual
with a disability. These experiences were substantiated by the literature and supported by the
conceptual framework. A closely related outcome of ST is students experiencing impostor
syndrome. Many of the students cited directly or indirectly this phenomenon. Whether it was
being in classrooms that have predominantly male professors and students or participating in
activities that resulted in them questioning if they belonged, impostor syndrome was present.
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Practices and experiences that facilitated students having a sense of belonging and recognition
mitigated impostor syndrome feelings.
According to Villasenor et al. (2021), through the lens of CRT, STEM faculty
mentorships were supported as a way to mitigate impostor syndrome. This alignment, through
the lens of CRT, reinforces the study’s conceptual framework as well. These relationships can
have a positive impact on identity, academic support, and support a sense of belonging for
women of color enrolled in college STEM programs (Villasenor et al., 2021). The emphasis here
is on reinforcing a sense of belonging, as not belonging is directly associated with impostor
syndrome and reinforcing stereotypes. However, as some participants shared, these negative
feelings would still remain prevalent throughout their STEM programs of study. There was a
sense of accepting it as a reality and using it as a motivator to persevere in their programs. The
findings affirmed the presence of impostor syndrome and ST among the participants in STEM
programs. Confirming these dynamics from the participant sample studied highlights the need to
keep it at the forefront so that the STEM industry can be impacted positively.
Fortitude was another dominant theme in this analysis and findings. Many of the students
were fortunate to have taken their negative experiences with ST and impostor syndrome and used
them to build effective coping mechanisms. Acquisition of self-drive, determination, and feeling
capable were all positive outcomes of ST countermeasures. The participants recognized ST
thinking, and they “flip it” so that it worked in their favor as a motivator. These positive findings
reinforced the existence of ST but also uncovered a unique countermeasure. As Villasenor et al.
(2021) noted, environments and approaches that empower students create a sense of belonging.
This, in turn, can counteract ST and impostor syndrome. Although some of the students in the
study referenced this coping mechanism, it is evident that more students need resources to equip
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themselves and persevere through their STEM programs. This needs to be done if having a
sizable impact on the STEM industry is the objective. The STEM industry has recognized
support systems as an integral component for recruiting and retaining minority women.
According to Beck et al. (2022), integrating best practices such as peer groups and inclusivity
activities can alleviate experiences of isolation and lack of belonging. Recognizing and
integrating similar structures at the higher education level can reinforce coping mechanisms like
STEM student fortitude.
Lastly, students identifying and developing coping mechanisms in isolation to counteract
ST and impostor syndrome was a challenging task. However, a common theme involved
professors and staff recognizing students, valuing them, and empowering them. This was also in
the form of students being exposed to diverse professors in terms of ethnicity and gender, which
facilitated a sense of identity and confidence in the STEM program. According to Beck et al.
(2022), teachers as role models, by communicating their perspectives, have a direct impact on
students’ understanding of STEM fields. These positive relationships and experiences equipped
some participants with effective coping mechanisms to counteract ST.
The literature supported this intentional support system by faculty and staff in STEM
programs. As Reyes (2011) described, having a general awareness of minority women in STEM
limited higher education experience, academic relationships, and acknowledgement of unique
family structures can ensure appropriate support structures. As some participants described, this
can be simple recognition of their skills, motivation, drive or even lack of experience in some
areas. These actions resulted in some of the participants feeling welcomed, appreciated, and with
a sense of belonging. For some, this was enough to mitigate thoughts of impostor syndrome or
affirmation of negative stereotypes. Counteracting these items was associated with the
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conceptual framework’s CRT systems of disenfranchisement, STT, and IT impact. Supporting
minority women students with intentional valuation can have an impact on completion rates,
which can positively impact the STEM industry.
Recommendations for Practice
The purpose of this qualitative study focused on exploring and understanding the reasons
some African American and Hispanic women either do not complete their STEM majors or
change their majors of study while in college programs. The following recommendations and
findings reflect the dissertation focusing on the underrepresentation of African American and
Hispanic women in STEM fields. The following recommendations are based on the study’s
findings and reflect an analysis of the literature on the underrepresentation of minority women in
STEM college programs and the industry. The study’s findings include the following initial
themes: relationships with professors, social capital leveraging and self-care, and access to
resources. In addition, prominent themes centered on impostor syndrome, student fortitude, and
recognition by professors.
Recommendation 1: Increase African American and Hispanic Women Faculty
Representation and Retention in STEM Higher Education Programs
Most participants shared positive experiences with faculty who were women from diverse
ethnic backgrounds. Their responses ranged from identifying with these faculty members to
being motivated to pursue a STEM career. Many participants recommended having diverse
faculty, which included women and faculty from different ethnicities. This finding and
recommendation resonated with one of the study’s focus areas on the prevalence of ST. It was
evident that the students wanted a countermeasure to those negative thoughts and feelings in the
form of identifying with a role model. There was also a sense of trust among the participants
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when they described having access to and openly communicating with professors and staff.
Some students were guarded and “shy” as they began their programs and throughout. Having
professors with whom they could relate presented opportunities for support and connectedness
with career aspirations. This recommendation is directly supported by the study’s conceptual
framework as it focuses on institutional structures that have limited representation of minority
women faculty in STEM. Furthermore, by increasing women of color faculty in STEM, minority
students can be empowered to complete their programs, as they will have appropriate role
models.
To better support higher education diversity recruitment and hiring minority women from
STEM fields, implicit bias training integration in the recruitment process is recommended.
According to Liu et al. (2019), this training is a practical approach to bringing awareness to
faculty hiring selection committee members’ biases. The authors added that this training has
been beneficial to increasing minority women faculty diversity in higher education STEM
programs. This recommendation focused on being intentional with hiring committees in higher
education. There is an acknowledgement that this has to be done prior to initiating recruitment so
that members of a hiring committee can be more aware of the biases and increase their
objectivity (Liu et al., 2019).
Integration of support systems for women of color faculty in higher education supports
retention efforts. A parallel system to recruitment that is designed to focus on the minority
faculty group in STEM is also recommended. Integration of diversity programs can benefit a
target group, like women faculty in STEM, by enhancing feelings of autonomy, competence, and
relatedness and ultimately predicting overall job satisfaction (Smith et al., 2018). The authors
further add that diversity programs designed to promote gender equity can also positively affect
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individuals that are part of the programs but not necessarily the target group. Lastly,
development of organizational support groups to support a safe space for minority women
faculty to convene is recommended. Specific funding can be set aside to help with participants’
non-instructional compensation, or they can be offered flex time.
These recommendations can be implemented by first collaborating with human resources
departments on the need to recruit minority women faculty in STEM fields. Strategies for
recruiting women directly from the industry through a lens of diversity, along with targeted
marketing efforts, are some ways that collaboration with human resources can be implemented.
By emphasizing how this impacts current and future women in STEM programs, educational
leaders can connect it with the larger organizational mission.
Recommendation 2: Provide Professional Development to Faculty and Staff in STEM
College Programs Related to Supporting Women Diversity in STEM
Although some students cited positive relationships, role models, and general experiences
with faculty and staff, some acknowledged having negative experiences. The experiences
centered around insensitivity to academic preparation, gender roles, social-emotional dynamics,
socioeconomic background, and general industry exposure. Professional development that
supports diversity training for faculty and staff is recommended.
Some faculty and staff do not have the background or experience of working with diverse
populations. General diversity training focusing on implicit bias can bring awareness to
differences in dynamics with specific populations. This type of professional development for
faculty and staff aligns with the study’s conceptual framework through the lens of critical race
theory, focusing on changing systems and structures from the inside to better support
marginalized populations. Implicit bias training that is short and tailored to men and women,
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including local college climate data, stereotype information, and steps to address biases, has
reduced biases toward women in STEM (Jackson et al., 2014). Tailoring training to the unique
population of a college and community is emphasized due to the diverse setting in many
institutions of higher education.
Furthermore, efficient training in delivery and utilizing media has been shown to be
effective in reducing biases toward women in STEM and increasing behaviors that promote
STEM gender parity (Moss-Racusin et al., 2018). This latter recommended practice is interesting
from the standpoint of delivering training in an environment that is safe. Educational leaders
need to be mindful that some of these topics can be perceived as controversial or not important
by some. As a result, delivering in an in-person environment can create uncomfortable
experiences for members of a minority group. The utilization of media in an efficient manner, as
recommended by Moss-Racusin et al. (2018), can also create a non-threatening environment.
The implementation of this type of professional development could be offered to all
current faculty and staff that either teach or directly support STEM programs at a college. The
training can be integrated into an institution’s professional development programming and be
eligible for staff credit. The training can also be integrated into the onboarding process for new
faculty and staff who will work directly supporting STEM programs.
Recommendation 3: Expand Student STEM Mentorship Programs in Community Colleges
A common theme from the participant’s interviews focused on relationships with
professors. Some participants highlighted the benefits of having accessible, understanding, and
open relationships with their professors. For many of the participants, outside of a formal
mentorship program, they referenced similar experiences and structures. In addition to having
access to professors, many participants highlighted experiences where their professor or staff
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created a sense of belonging and feeling valued. These additional benefits can be positive
outcomes of a structured mentorship program.
An intentional and structured mentorship program that acknowledges populations like
underrepresented minority women in STEM is recommended. Specifically, establishing a
structured mentorship program that pairs faculty with African American or Hispanic women
students is a recommended practice. This student support program aligns with the study’s
conceptual framework by acknowledging a student’s sense of belonging and possible negative
feelings or thoughts grounded in stereotypes. Furthermore, integrating it as part of a STEM
program prioritizes supporting students at the institutional level. Mentorship programs can
benefit minority women in community college STEM programs by improving their sense of
identity, providing academic support, and increasing their sense of belonging (Villasenor et al.,
2021). According to Guy and Boards (2019), minority women in undergraduate and graduate
STEM programs benefit from support structures that include mentorship and expanded research
opportunities. Impactful higher education STEM support programs that integrate mentoring were
described as designed to inspire women, focused on retention, access to industry, professional
organizations, and exposure to STEM professionals (Avendano et al., 2019). The authors further
added that these activities supplemented the mentorship component.
Institutions of higher education are recommended to prioritize and secure funding to
support faculty conducting non-instructional mentorship activities. Because these activities fall
outside the traditional instructional workload, getting faculty’s participation and buy-in requires
a dedicated funding source. Utilization of appropriate grants and institutional foundation
resources if recommended as a funding source.
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Key components of mentorship programs are a clear purpose and delivery model. This is
imperative, as providing structure to faculty and students will ensure that a mentorship program
is deployable and sustainable. General recommendations of a mentorship program include the
following: program purpose, objectives, outcomes, timeline, and minimum mentorship meetings
to be held.
Limitations and Delimitations
This study has some inherent limitations and delimitations. To begin with, this study
focuses on STEM but does not include all STEM majors. STEM is broad and includes multiple
occupations, disciplines, and industry sectors. The scope of this research does not include
disciplines or sectors that are either underperforming or performing well regarding the
representation of women and minority women overall.
Inherent in a qualitative study are limitations to the causality and generalization of a
study’s findings to a larger population, as the primary focus is on meaning and understanding a
phenomenon (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This study was limited to participants from community
colleges and a university in the Los Angeles County region. However, there were two
interviewees from the state of New York. Because of this, generalizing findings to other regions
is not warranted. In addition, the sample of nine students is not representative of an entire ethnic
or gender population.
Furthermore, although the study’s focus at the onset was on equal representation of
African American women students, there was only one participant who identified as African
American, and the rest were Hispanic. Also, within the two ethnic group categories of African
American and Hispanic women, there are different ethnic subcategories (e.g., multi-ethnic or
90

Spaniard) that the participants might identify with. As a result, this limits generalization to the
entire African American or Hispanic ethnic category related to the findings.
Also, due to the topics and questions addressed, it was difficult to control the duration of
the interview, which might have had an impact on the quantity of information shared. Lastly, the
interviews were conducted via the Zoom platform. Some of the participants preferred to have
their cameras off, and this presented limitations to engaging and exchanging nonverbal cues. It is
expected that this dynamic might have had an impact on my ability to establish rapport or add a
level of comfort to the interview experience.
In terms of delimitations of the study, since the focus is on African American and
Hispanic women, there was an exclusion of men and other minority women groups such as
Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Another area that I was mindful of was
working within the colleges’ semester parameters. Furthermore, I ensured that the study worked
around instructional boundaries and did not encroach on instructional time was a priority. Lastly,
the limitation of interviewing the participants only once added a sense of urgency to conduct the
interviews within a short window of time. The proceeding section introduces recommendations
for future research.
Recommendations for Future Research
This research focused on exploring and understanding why some African American and
Hispanic women do not complete STEM programs of study. The findings were informative and
reinforced some current research. However, due to limitations of resources, time, and sample
size, there is an opportunity to expand on these topics. As indicated in the study’s title and
problem of practice description, African American and Hispanic women in STEM fields were
the study’s focus. However, as reflected in the study's number of African American participants,
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there was an apparent underrepresentation compared to the number of Hispanic participants.
Although diverse recruitment efforts were equally applied, African American individuals
participated minimally for unknown reasons. A possible explanation for this is the small
population of African American women in STEM programs. Their overall numbers may be so
small that their population size makes recruiting an adequate sample size challenging. Another
possible explanation is associated with documented mistrust by African Americans due to past
negative research experiences. African Americans’ mistrust of academic institutions and research
investigators has been reported as a significant barrier to research participation (Scharff et al.,
2010). Even though the experiences of Hispanic women in STEM programs share many
commonalities with African Americans, the latter group deserves more research dedicated to
their unique experiences.
An interesting observation from the findings was that students leverage virtual platforms,
such as Discord, to supplement academic assistance, share resources, and establish a sense of
community and relationships, which supported a STEM identity. These areas are very important,
as the students benefited by going beyond the brick-and-mortar structure of traditional academia
and into the virtual sphere. Future research should explore the benefits of such environments and
their impact on disenfranchised populations pursuing STEM programs.
Adding to the virtual theme, many participants also cited interest and benefiting from
WBL experiences. These experiences and recommendations ranged from exposure to industry
speakers, internships, and research opportunities. The students appreciated these experiences, as
they provided opportunities to ease the transition into the industry while building their
confidence. Virtual participation in these experiences can provide more access, diverse
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experiences, and safe places where students can experiment. The area of virtual WBL warrants
additional research as academia and society continue to expand into virtual environments.
Closely associated with WBL experiences, in general, is further research into garnering
support from industry professionals to serve in the capacity of mentors. The participants
frequently referenced wanting more WBL experiences and relationships with their professors
and staff. Mentorship was also an ideal mechanism for forming relationships between students,
faculty, and staff. However, establishing and sustaining effective mentoring programs can be a
challenge. Further research is warranted to explore the benefits of connecting students with
industry professionals so that they can also serve in the capacity of a mentor. Doing this in
collaboration with faculty and staff, or separately if needed, might be beneficial. Further research
is warranted in this area.
Since the study was focused on the attainment of a credential via completing a STEM
program, credentials in the form of digital badges are worth researching further. Many of the
participants cited experiences related to “motivation.” According to Roy and Clark (2019), there
appears to be support among the research body that digital badges are associated with individuals
being engaged with academics and being motivated. The authors added that digital badges can be
easily shared, verified and validate an individual’s accomplishments. For women who have been
disenfranchised in academia and the STEM workforce, researching alternative credentialing
mechanisms is warranted, especially if such credentialing platforms can mitigate biases,
prejudices, and potential discrimination.
Conclusion
This study was proposed and carried out to explore and understand the reasons women,
particularly African American and Hispanic women, were underrepresented in the STEM fields.
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This area of research continues to be a priority due to women being underrepresented in STEM
fields. This underrepresentation is even more dire when women of color are accounted for. The
study centralized its focus on higher education, as it is the source of the future STEM workforce.
By learning from current students, this study has allowed for a deeper understanding of the issue,
affirming certain factors and conditions and uncovering new themes and recommendations. By
learning about the participants' experiences, this study intended to inform the field of education
and bring to light best practices that can support women of color in STEM. The findings can
inform educational leaders, policymakers, and the STEM industry as a whole in the areas of
supporting women of color. In conclusion, this study uncovered the persistence of missed
opportunities to support a marginalized population. By not acting, issues of equity and access
and the socioeconomic ramifications will continue.

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Appendix A: Interview Protocol
Participant ID number:
Date of Interview:
Start Time:
End Time:
Type of Interview:
Virtual:
Telephone:
In Person:
Hello again, and thank you for participating in this interview. I am very appreciative of
your interest and setting aside some time to support this study. As referenced in my earlier
communication, my name is Federico Saucedo, and I am a doctoral student in the Rossier School
of Education, Organizational Change and Leadership Program at the University of Southern
California. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the underrepresentation
of African American and Hispanic women in science, technology, engineering, and math
(STEM) related technology and computer science programs. A study information and consent
form that outlined the guidelines related to individuals being interviewed via video/audio was
provided to you ahead of time. I have a copy of the form, which has your approval designation.
May you confirm that you have read the form and agree to be interviewed as outlined? Related to
this, I want to ensure that I have a clear understanding of the answers provided to my questions.
To help facilitate that, for the purpose of me being able to transcribe the answers to the
questions, I would like to record the interview using the Zoom recording and transcription
103

function. Do I have your permission to do so? Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to
answer any questions that you might have before we begin.

Table A1
Interview Protocol
Interview questions Notes
Interview questions for Phase 1: General demographic questions
What gender do you identify as?
What race do you identify with?
What is your age?
What is your current major?
Interview questions for Phase 2
Think back to your first semester in college. What was
that experience like for you?

How did you decide on your STEM major?
What other external entities (if any) played a role in how
you selected your STEM major? For example, family,
friends, media, etc.

While in high school, what was your experience like in
terms of college preparation?

How do you prepare for the academic demands of your
STEM program?

Envision the perfect experience in a STEM program while
in college. What would that look like?

Since you started the program, have there been times
when you have considered changing majors?

Reflecting back to when you started your program
through today, describe an experience when you felt
that you belonged in the program. Assuming that you
have had at least one experience.

Reflecting back to when you started your program
through today, describe for me an experience when you
felt that you did not belong in the program. Assuming
that you have had at least one experience.

How would you describe your experience with your
professors or other college staff?

What would you advise an African American/Hispanic
woman who is considering a STEM major in college?
What would they need to do to be successful in the
program?

104

Interview questions Notes
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine that we are 20
years in the future and had unlimited resources. Think
about the ideal STEM program at a college. What key
components would be part of the program to ensure
student success for African American and Hispanic
woman students?

105

Appendix B: Participant Information Sheet for Exempt Research

INFORMATION SHEET FOR EXEMPT RESEARCH

STUDY TITLE: Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Undergraduate Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math: A Focus on African American and Hispanic Women in
Community College and University Programs

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Federico Saucedo

FACULTY ADVISOR: Rudolph Crew

You are invited to participate in a research study. Your participation is voluntary. This document
explains information about this study. You should ask questions about anything that is unclear to
you.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to explore and understand why some African American and
Hispanic women do not complete science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
related technology and computer science majors while in community college and university
programs. This issue of underrepresentation is having an impact in the STEM industry as well, as
it impacted by a lack of diversity and underrepresentation by African American and Hispanic
women. We hope to learn about current African American and Hispanic women’s experiences
that are enrolled in STEM community college programs. The objective is to explore these unique
experiences through interviewing as a basis. Understanding possible reasons related to this issue
will help higher education administrators, faculty and staff, anticipate and address issues
impacting African American and Hispanic women before has a negative impact on the career
trajectory of students. You are invited as a possible participant because you identify as female,
African American or Hispanic, at least 18 years old, and are majoring in a technology or
computer science-related program of study.

PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you decide to take part, you will be asked to:

1. Respond to the invitation email, including a link to confirm your participation and a brief
questionnaire. This questionnaire should take no more than 5–7 minutes to complete.

2. After submission of the questionnaire in step one, a follow-up email will be sent within 3
business days. It will include a “Calendly” link scheduling poll that coincides with the principal
investigator (PI) Federico Saucedo’s availability.

3. Identify a date and time to schedule a virtual interview via the Zoom platform. Identifying a
date based on availability should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. A follow-up email by the PI,
which includes the Zoom meeting information, will be sent within 1 business day of receiving
confirmation of completing the Calendly poll.
106

4. Participate in an interview (virtually via Zoom) which can take between 30 and 45 minutes on
average. The discussion will consist of questions related to your initial questionnaire and open-
ended questions related to your experience(s) leading up to enrollment at the college and
experiences during your enrollment in STEM-related technology and computer science course
taking up to that point.

5. During the virtual (via Zoom) interview, it will be recorded to assist with capturing accurate
information and will be conducted via video. Recording the interview helps transcribe the audio
file into text format for analysis in specialized software. Due to this analysis method, a recording
of the interview is required. However, if you prefer to not have video (the camera) on, that is
okay as well. All recordings will be confidential and deleted at the end of the research study. If
you decline to be recorded via audio as a participant, the research study will not be able to
continue with your participation.

PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
At the culmination of the interview, you will be eligible to receive a $25.00 electronic gift card
(Starbucks or Amazon services) for your time. You do not have to answer all the questions to
receive the card. The electronic gift card will be emailed or sent via text, if preferred, within 5
business days after the interview.

CONFIDENTIALITY
The research team members and the University of Southern California Institutional Review
Board (IRB) may access the data. The IRB reviews and monitors research studies to protect the
rights and welfare of research subjects.

No identifiable information will be used when the research results are published or discussed at
conferences. Instead, participants will be coded with a pseudonym (e.g., Student 1).

Any identifiable information (e.g., email address) will be kept confidential and not disclosed to
the participant’s college or made public. Participants will be coded with a pseudonym (e.g.,
Student 1) in the research study materials. Participants will not be asked for their full names,
student identification numbers, or other personal identifying information.

Every effort will be used to ensure that data related to the study is accessible via password-
protected methods. The PI will use the USC Google Drive domain, which requires a secure USC
login to access data and relevant study documents. Recordings of the Zoom interviews will be
downloaded from Zoom and into the PI’s local drive (password-protected device) and USC
Google Drive platform. The Zoom account platform is password-protected and will only be
available to the PI. The duration of this study is anticipated to be completed by the end of
summer 2023. At this time or sooner, any data related to the study, such as interview recordings
or email addresses, will be deleted.

After each of the recordings is transcribed by an online transcription service (automated), the PI
will email the transcription to the participant. The participant can review and edit any of the
items if necessary. Transcription data, along with interview recordings, will be erased at the
culmination of the research study, which is anticipated to be at the end of summer 2023.
107

INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions about this study, please contact: Federico Saucedo (Principal
Investigator, email: fsaucedo@usc.edu, phone: (626) 818-XXXX, Rudolph Crew (Faculty
Advisor, email: crew@usc.edu)

IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, don’t hesitate to get in touch
with the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board at (323) 442-0114 or
email irb@usc.edu.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Saucedo, Federico (author)

Core Title Addressing the underrepresentation of women in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math: a focus on African American and Hispanic women in community college and university programs

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Degree Conferral Date 2023-08

Publication Date 07/11/2023

Defense Date 07/03/2023

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag African American and Hispanic women in STEM,minority women in STEM,OAI-PMH Harvest,women in STEM,women of color in STEM

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Crew, Rudolph (committee chair), Chamorro, Gustavo (committee member), Ott, Maria (committee member)

Creator Email fsaucedo@usc.edu,saucedofreddy1@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC113263440

Unique identifier UC113263440

Identifier etd-SaucedoFed-12068.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-SaucedoFed-12068

Document Type Dissertation

Format theses (aat)

Rights Saucedo, Federico

Internet Media Type application/pdf

Type texts

Source 20230711-usctheses-batch-1066 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright.

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA

Repository Email cisadmin@lib.usc.edu