Why Are There So Few Women in Physics? Reflections on the Experiences of Two Women

Abstract

Some of the reasons for the underrepresentation of women in physics are evident in the reflections of two undergraduate women. Leia is a chemistry major who loves college-level physical chemistry and quantum mechanics but does not identify with the discipline of physics, partly because she has a low level of self-efficacy as a physicist and has received very little recognition for her work and learning in physics. Paulette is a physics major who loves physics but feels isolated by the current physics learning environment. She reluctantly dropped honors introductory lab after being snubbed by her male classmates who partnered with one another, leaving her to work alone. Paulette's experiences with condescending male professors activated a stereotype threat about who can succeed in physics that caused her to disengage in class. We also discuss what these women felt has helped them so far and explore their suggestions for what would help women in physics courses as they pursue their quest for a physical science degree.

References in corpus (2)

• A longitudinal analysis of students' motivational characteristics in introductory physics courses: Gender differences
• Do evidence-based active-engagement courses reduce the gender gap in introductory physics?

Cited by in corpus (8)

• How perception of being recognized or not recognized by instructors as a "physics person" impacts male and female students' self-efficacy and performance
• The impact of perceived recognition by physics instructors on women's self-efficacy and interest
• Introductory physics students' recognition of strong peers: Gender and racial/ethnic bias differ by course level and context
• Gender Equity in Physics Labs: A Review
• Statistically equivalent models with different causal structures: An example from physics identity
• Undergraduate physics students' experiences: Exploring the impact of underrepresented identities and intersectionality
• Decoding physics identity: A Spanish-language adaptation on an instrument and its correlation with STEM achievement
• How to design research-aligned DEI interventions in physics