skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Strong and Weak Ties in STEM Educational and Professional Experiences
This study seeks to investigate the nature of relationships within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors and students’ subsequent career pathways. We interviewed 40 STEM graduates working in the greater Washington, DC area. Specifically, we examine social ties, and how both weaker, more casual social ties and strong, close social ties shape individuals’ experiences. Altogether, we hope to understand the forces that influence the formation, strength, duration, and impact of social ties within STEM. In particular, we are interested in the potential influence of inequality in experiences due to racism and sexism.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1660914
PAR ID:
10096896
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
AERA
ISSN:
0736-1661
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract The First2 Network is a collection of people from K–12, higher education, government, and industry who are coming together to ensure that students of West Virginia, a rural Appalachian state, will be prepared to choose science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors and persist in them. This project—funded by the National Science Foundation—combines many features, including semi-annual conferences, structured working groups, summer immersive experiences for students, a student ambassador program, and network improvement communities. The growth of the First2 Network is vital to make sure that these activities and programs are disseminated and sustained statewide. This article uses social network analysis to examine participation of people around the state during the first three years of the project. Findings indicate that the network is growing in number of people and in strength of connections. Network leadership members are playing key roles in the network, and student participants who persist in their STEM majors have stronger ties to the network. Social network indicators suggest that the network has manifested positive changes in the first three years of the project, which will lead to increased communication and collaboration among state agencies related to STEM persistence within the state. 
    more » « less
  2. The STEM teacher workforce in the United States has faced a host of pressing challenges, including teacher shortages, pervasive job dissatisfaction, and high turnover, problems largely attributable to working conditions within schools and districts. These problems have been exacerbated in high-needs districts with fewer resources and more students from low-income communities. Since social network research has shown that workplace relationships are vital for retention, this study investigates the demographic and relational antecedents to what we dub ties of retention. We explore how demographic and relational properties affect the likelihood that teachers have “retention-friendly” networks, characterized by connections important for retention. Our analysis of data from a sample of 120 STEM teachers across five geographic regions identifies key demographics (i.e., site, gender, career changer, and prior teaching experience) and relational properties (network size, positive affect, and perceptions of bridging) associated with ties of retention. We discuss the implications of our findings for the STEM teacher workforce and for teacher education programs. 
    more » « less
  3. This qualitative study examines how race/ethnicity and gender influence the transformation of student-faculty relationships into valued forms of social capital for students career-related opportunities career opportunities within Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering (STEM) contexts. Through retrospective interviews with 40 STEM graduates, the data revealed: (1) that experiences of racism and sexism among women of color affected their ability to attend office hours and build strong relationships with professors; (2) that while White females experienced sexism from faculty, their White privilege lessened the negative effects associated with their gender; (3) that being exposed to diverse faculty facilitated conversations between female students and students of color and their professors about their career pathways; and (4) that the negative influence of race/ethnicity and gender on student-faculty relationships was alleviated, but not eliminated, through research engagement. 
    more » « less
  4. Understanding how manufacturers engage in knowledge sharing with other firms is key in providing insights for the reshoring and strengthening of US apparel and sewn products manufacturing. Based on both social capital theory and the knowledge-based view of the firm perspective, this paper analyzes the conditions within the firm that support knowledge absorptive capacity, social interaction, and a people-oriented culture in building network ties to advance sharing of resources along the supply chain. Manufacturers of apparel and sewn products operating within a western US state form the sample population for this mixed method exploration. Study 1 involves a four-year qualitative examination of manufacturers across the state. Findings highlighted the frequency of knowledge as a topic of external organizational discussion. Study 2 probed aspects of knowledge quantitatively using an online survey with 38 participating manufacturing firm owners. Results suggested strong associations among the three independent variables and network ties generating an adjusted R2 of 0.766. A significant two-way interaction effect was found for absorptive capacity and social interaction indicating their positive effect on network ties. The relationship between absorptive capacity and network ties was found to be greater with higher levels of social interaction. Theoretical implications and suggestions for application of findings are offered. 
    more » « less
  5. This paper focuses on the professional development component of the CISTEME365 initiative, which supports the creation of affective and knowledge spaces among guidance counselors and teachers as advocates for social justice and equity in STEM education. Using a qualitative case study approach [3], we examine what happens when a pair of middle school educators (science teacher and dual language science teacher) develop an after-school STEM club with a specific goal of creating an equitable and inclusive environment for girls and students from racially minoritized backgrounds. Further, we use inductive thematic analysis methodology [4] to identify propositions on professional development aspects of CISTEME365 programming and its influence on STEM Club design and student experiences. 
    more » « less