Elementary Girls’ Perceptions of Self and STEM

Abstract

This study investigates elementary girls’ perceptions of self and STEM following their experience at an informal STEM program. Thirty girls in grades four and five were interviewed about STEM on two separate occasions. Qualitative coding methods were used to analyze the data, and key findings include less positive dispositions toward mathematics than other STEM disciplines with a need for real-world mathematics applications, perceptions of boys as better suited for success in STEM, and definitions of success in STEM based on speed of task completion and school tracking practices.