2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is well-researched from a range of perspectives yet persists as an issue (Hill, Corbett, & St Rose, 2010). Among the women who have chosen to pursue a STEM degree, many are first-generation college students and face obstacles within a male-dominated field (Wilson & Kittleson, 2013; Wright, Roscigno, & Quadlin, 2023). First-generation women often encounter implicit biases and stereotypes, difficulty attaining leadership positions or recognition for work, and inadequate support structures for mentorship and familial support networks (Kim, 2021).

In this research paper, we share our pilot study that investigates the experiences of first-generation women in Computing (i.e., Computer Science, Human-Centered Computing, etc.) graduate degree programs and provide recommendations and strategies for persisting through their graduate programs. This pilot is methodological in nature, as we intend to use evidence from this study to inform the design of a survey protocol informed by rigorous exploratory research into the phenomenon at the center of this work. Validating the survey protocol will be the next phase of this research, followed by a broad implementation of the survey.

As pilot work, this study is our first step toward building a robust line of research that builds outward from an exploration of graduate student experiences. Using qualitative interviews to construct quantitative survey items requires structures that guide both data collection and analysis to ensure trustworthy and transferable results. We began with an interview protocol based on the methodology of critical conversations, integrating a structure for guiding and managing the ongoing discussion between two interviewers interviewing each other. During thematic analysis, a third member of our team who was not present for the interviews assisted with analyzing while providing an external assessment of the evidence collected. The themes that emerged from their interviews surrounded navigating difficult situations, including advisor-student relationships, working with research associates, traversing departmental politics, fostering grad student communities, acknowledging mental health and burn out, and finding validation in academic successes.

Understanding the current challenges first-generation women face in Computing, a once female-dominated field (Light, 1999), will provide an outline for evidence-based innovation toward inclusivity and support for similar women in the field. In addition to providing scope to a validated survey instrument, we show where future research can focus on filling research gaps and provide insight into the experiences women face in STEM as a model for other women in the field or women seeking to be in the field.