Poster Proceedings »
1 Overcoming Gender Bias in STEM: The Effect of Adding the Arts (STEAM)
This pilot study investigated female students who attended a STEM course with the Arts (STEAM) in comparison to a traditional STEM course and the impact it had on desire to pursue a STEM degree. An independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare female to male students’ interest in pursuing STEM degrees. The participants (N = 58) consisted of college students (35 female students and 23 male students) attending a postsecondary institution in the northeastern United States. The study found significant differences (p < .05) between the groups. These results support the positive relationship between female students attending a STEAM course and desire to pursue a STEM degree. The implications and results of adding interdisciplinary elements to traditional STEM courses for female students are discussed.