RT Journal Article
ID 499d314a668d2a4a
A1 Skultety, Lisa
A1 George, Casey E.
T1 "I’M IN THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES BECAUSE…" EXAMINING UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS’ MOTIVATIONS FOR PURSUING MATH
JF Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
JO JWM
YR 2019
FD 2019-01-04
VO 25
IS 1
SP 25
OP 52
K1 women
K1 minorities
K1 mathematical sciences
K1 choice of major
AB For decades, researchers have attempted to unlock the mystery behind the continued underrepresentation of key groups in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. While findings often point to complex and intersecting individual and contextual factors, rarely do such studies directly (and simply) ask underrepresented students why they are in the STEM fields. The current study gives voice to the reasons mathematically-talented, underrepresented, domestic students pursue postsecondary degrees in the mathematical sciences, which are an important subset of the larger STEM fields. Analysis of qualitative data gathered through an online survey reveals that students' reasons for pursuing their degrees are due to their affinity and attitudes towards math, previous personal experiences, engagement with mathematics, and view of the utility of mathematics. Perhaps most striking were the ways in which students described mathematics and their attraction to the nature of math
as a field. Implication for practitioners, including how the characteristics of math are communicated to students, and recommendations for future research, which focus on the importance of considering the nature of math, are discussed.

PB Begell House
LK https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/00551c876cc2f027,294b56436594090b,499d314a668d2a4a.html