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Coordinating Transitions: Exploring the STEM Institution from the Standpoint of Freshman and Transfer Undergraduate Women

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Abstract

Through the lens of feminist standpoint theory, we explore if and how the processes, procedures, and discourses that coordinate the everyday work of transitioning from K12 or a community college created challenges for women students in computer science and physics. Data collection and analysis focused on describing the day-to-day work of transitioning into a computer science or physics major, identifying what coordinated the work (policy, procedure, or discourse), and if and how participants experienced challenges during their transition into their majors. Women students majoring in computer science or physics and transitioning as a freshman or transfer participated in 1–3 interviews throughout the study. Participants reported challenges with the transition process into STEM education (e.g. credits from previous institutions not transferring, adjusting to the academic rigor of STEM courses, sense of belonging). The findings also suggested the participants found ways to navigate these challenges through privilege and confidence in their own voice to gain access to information that may not be readily available to other women.

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Notes

  1. In IE, “everyday work” refers to anything done by people that takes time and effort, is done under definite conditions that is not always equivalent to paid labor (Smith 2005).

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  1. Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA

    Ariel Steele

  2. North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA

    Laura Parson

  3. Division of Student Development, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA

    Emily Wilkins

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Steele, A., Parson, L. & Wilkins, E. Coordinating Transitions: Exploring the STEM Institution from the Standpoint of Freshman and Transfer Undergraduate Women. Journal for STEM Educ Res 3, 343–367 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-020-00036-w

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