Gender and doctoral mathematics: impactful factors for the success of female students
Date
2015
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Although the gender gap in participation in undergraduate mathematics has narrowed, significant disparities still exist at the doctoral level. To better understand issues of retention for female mathematics doctoral students, this study was designed to identify factors most crucial to success for female students and to compare these factors to those identified as most crucial for male students. A survey instrument was designed and administered to a stratified, random sample of male and female mathematics faculty members (n = 662) employed at post-secondary institutions in the United States. Data were first analyzed with exploratory factor analysis to identify underlying constructs. Sixteen latent constructs were identified, which were then analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to determine the relative effects of each identified factor on doctoral program success. Analyses of the data indicate that different factors were influential in the success of male and female mathematics doctoral students. For female participants, personal characteristics, personal considerations, support from their advisor, academic benefits of their assistantship, and the obstacles faced were critical to their success in their doctoral program. For male participants, the critical factors were personal characteristics, content preparation, support from their advisor, the quality of their coursework, and the fairness of policies within the program. Of all the constructs tested, only one - Obstacles Faced - was a significantly stronger predictor of doctoral program success for women than for men. Much of the previous research in this area has focused on issues of attrition of female doctoral students, utilizing small samples and qualitative methodologies. In contrast, this study used a large, representative sample of mathematics faculty members and investigated the comparative impact of factors related to doctoral program success. Thus, this study makes a unique contribution to better understanding the mechanisms underlying success in doctoral-level mathematics. Based on the findings, five key recommendations are proposed to guide revisions to mathematics doctoral programs to increase the success of female students.