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Development and Validation of the Workplace Climate and Persistence Scale for STEM Faculty Framed in Intersectionality of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Background

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Abstract

Gender disparities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) faculty composition remain a major issue in U.S. higher education. Specifically, the underrepresentation of women of color has been described as a crisis. We developed the Workplace Climate and Persistence Scale (WCPS) for STEM faculty to assess departmental-level climate factors associated with faculty persistence, using a framework of the intersectionality of gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. To validate the WCPS, we conducted analyses for construct validity, internal consistency reliability, and criterion validity evidence using data from 394 STEM faculty at three universities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in 43 items loading across nine factors in a good model fit range. The nonlinear SEM reliability coefficients ranged from .811 to .971, with the overall Omega = .991. The correlation matrix indicated that the WCPS differentiates STEM faculty’s perceptions by multiple social identities. We expect the WCPS to help administrators identify where to target approaches to improve climate and assess the effectiveness of such interventions.

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Data Availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was made possible by Grants from the National Science Foundation (1535456 and 1712618). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Preliminary findings of this article appeared in a paper presented at the 2019 American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, Tampa, FL, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering and Computing Education, University of Cincinnati, 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA

    So Yoon Yoon

  2. Department of Engineering Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Julie L. Aldridge & Monica F. Cox

  3. School of Engineering Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Joyce B. Main

  4. Department of Teaching and Learning, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Ebony Omotola McGee

  5. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Meseret F. Hailu

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Yoon, S.Y., Aldridge, J.L., Cox, M.F. et al. Development and Validation of the Workplace Climate and Persistence Scale for STEM Faculty Framed in Intersectionality of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Background. Res High Educ 64, 933–958 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-022-09724-5

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