Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/20209
Title: Balancing the Equation: Mentoring First-Year Female STEM Students at a Regional University
Contributor(s): Reid, Jacqueline  (author)orcid ; Smith, Erica  (author)orcid ; Iamsuk, Nansiri (author); Miller, Jennifer (author)
Publication Date: 2016
Open Access: Yes
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/20209
Open Access Link: https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/index.php/CAL/article/view/10707/10874Open Access Link
Abstract: Due to changes to Australia's economic landscape (e.g., falling productivity and the end of the mining boom) and the emergence of disruptive digital technologies, the shape of the Australian workforce is rapidly changing and the development of STEM skills is an imperative. There has been a decline, however, in the number of students studying STEM subjects in senior secondary school, and the underrepresentation of females in many STEM disciplines further compounds the problem. The University of New England is a regional Australian university where a large proportion of students are from rural and regional areas, are mature-aged, and come from low SES backgrounds. Many commence their tertiary studies in STEM with diverse backgrounds, often without the necessary assumed knowledge. A mentoring program was designed to assist female students develop STEM-related study and career goals. Important components of the program included: face-to-face and online training and professional development for participants, two mentors (one academic and one industry-based) per student, accessibility for students studying at a distance, guest speakers, and outreach activities promoting STEM to the wider community. This program could be readily adapted for other cohorts of students (e.g., indigenous students) and expanded (e.g., for all students embarking on STEM studies). The program helped students recognise and address potential roadblocks to a sustained and successful STEM-based career, build confidence in pursuing study and career goals, and develop sound decision-making skills in career planning. For mentors, the program offered STEM-related professional development opportunities. Furthermore, academic mentors reported a positive impact on their approach to STEM teaching as a result of participation in the program.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 24(4), p. 18-30
Publisher: Institute for Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education
Place of Publication: Australia
ISSN: 2200-4270
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 019999 Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
039999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
139999 Education not elsewhere classified
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 349999 Other chemical sciences not elsewhere classified
499999 Other mathematical sciences not elsewhere classified
519999 Other physical sciences not elsewhere classified
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences
970101 Expanding Knowledge in the Mathematical Sciences
970103 Expanding Knowledge in the Chemical Sciences
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 280118 Expanding knowledge in the mathematical sciences
280102 Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
280105 Expanding knowledge in the chemical sciences
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Science and Technology

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