https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7955-680X
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Abstract
After a disruptive event, such as the pandemic, it is reasonable to re-assess the status of past educational disparities. Re-assessment is particularly important for female college students from a traditionally patriarchal society attempting to promote gender equity in education. During the pre-pandemic era, such students preferred non-STEM programs over STEM programs at disproportionate rates. The present study examined indices of performance during the freshman year before and after the pandemic to determine whether choice and performance differences exist between female students enrolled in STEM and non-STEM programs. Comparisons involved the number of courses completed and the grades obtained in mandatory general education courses devoted to communication, computational, and professional competencies. In the pre-pandemic period, STEM students outperformed non-STEM students in all three competencies. In the post-pandemic period, STEM students outperformed non-STEM students only in communication competencies and professional competencies. Yet, in both student groups, post-pandemic performance was lower, even though STEM students completed fewer general education courses. These findings suggest that female students’ re-adjustment to on-campus instruction was challenging, particularly in STEM majors. Although female STEM learners remained a minority and faced performance challenges in the post-pandemic environment, their numbers increased. Because the pursuit of gender equity in education and employment rests on the academic success of such students, these results along with qualitative data obtained from on-campus interviews demand a retooling of academic support systems. A discussion of the available options for early interventions is put forth.
Acknowledgment
A special thank-you note goes to the members of the Undergraduate Research Society. The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work.
Ethical approval
The data collection process for the present research was approved by the Deanship of Research to comply with the guidelines for educational research set by the Office for Human Research Protections of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (§46.104 exempt research) and with the American Psychological Association’s ethical standards in the treatment of research participants. Identifiers were deleted upon data entry. Random numbers were used on data sheets to differentiate participants.
Author contributions
All authors contributed equally to the research and related manuscript.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Maura A. E. Pilotti
Maura A. E. Pilotti is a cognitive psychologist whose research interests include learning and memory processes across the lifespan. Currently, her research focuses on the interrelations of memory, language, emotion, and culture. She received her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology at the City University of New York (USA). Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected].
Khadija El Alaoui
Khadija El Alaoui is a scholar of American culture whose specializations encompass history, peace and justice studies, and higher education. Currently, her research focuses on the history of the Arab and Western worlds, human diversity, and cultural practices. She received her Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Dresden (Germany). Email: [email protected].
Hanadi M. Abdelsalam
Hanadi Mohamed Abdelsalam is a scholar whose interests encompass Astrophysics and STEM education. Currently, her research explores quantum physics. As a chair of the Department of Sciences and Human Studies at Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University, her research efforts are focused on the educational attainment of undergraduate students. She attained her Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Oxford University (Great Britain). Email: [email protected].
Omar J. El-Moussa
Omar Jaudat Elmoussa is a scholar in the field of education broadly defined. Currently, he serves as the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs at Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University. His work is devoted to predicting as well as promoting the educational attainment and well-being of undergraduate and graduate students. He received his Ph.D. in Education from the University of North Dakota. Email: [email protected].