Does “Women Friendliness” Matter in STEM Education?: Differential Effects of High-Impact Practices on Career Aspiration of STEM College Students by Gender

This study examined the differential effects of High-Impact Practices(HIPs) on the career aspiration of STEM college students by gender. Through the theoretical lens of Social Cognitive Career Theory(SCCT), a two-level model analysis was conducted. A sample of 2,101 third- and fourth-year undergraduate students majoring in STEM at 38 universities, which had been collected from the National Survey on College Student Experiences and Learning Outcomes funded by the Korea Research Foundation, was used. This study found that the three HIP domains(learning with peers, faculty support, content relevancy) had different influences depending on gender. These findings suggest that HIPs can benefit the development of female students’ career aspiration and have gender-differential effects on students in STEM majors. Based on those findings, this study also deduced implications about the roles of faculty members and higher-education institutions that might foster the retention of women in STEM.