Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1999

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Educational Administration

Major Professor

E. Grady Bogue

Committee Members

Jeffery P. Aper, Ralph G. Brockett, Lloyd D. Davis

Abstract

Women continue to be underrepresented in the physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The problem for undergraduate departments in these areas is to identify factors under their control which may increase the number of women who select, and persist in, their majors.The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether there is a difference in the environment of an undergraduate chemistry department which graduates a relatively high proportion of women to that of one which graduates a relatively low proportion of women. Case studies of two undergraduate chemistry departments at CarnegieComprehensive I universities in the same state, one with a relatively high proportion of female graduates and one with a lower proportion, were conducted, and the data were analyzed for any positive or negative influence of the departmental environment on the women's selection of and persistence in the major.Data were obtained from university and departmental documents, researcher observations, interviews, and the Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale by Betz and Hackett(1993). A total of 12 faculty and 18 student interviews were conducted at the two schools.Findings from the two departments may be summarized as follows:1. Interview data from each department identified five critical aspects of the departmental environment.2. Student interview data identified three categories of influence on the selection of and persistence in chemistry.3. Analysis of data indicated that college factors are a critical link between school and major selection as well as pre-college and post-graduate plans. Some of these factors are within the school or department's control or influence while others are not.4. Cross-case analysis found important similarities in the two departments which are relevant to the research. Nine relevant similarities were cited.5. Cross-case analysis found important differences in the two departments which are relevant to the research. Eleven relevant differences were identified.The two departments had common interests and problems representative of undergraduate chemistry departments in comprehensive universities. However, the differences in their environments, those factors over which they had control, appeared to have a significant impact on the selection of, and persistence in, chemistry.

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