PERCEPTIONS OF COLLABORATION, EQUITY AND VALUES IN SCIENCE AMONG FEMALE AND MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Diversification of the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce requires a climate supportive of underrepresented groups. We studied undergraduate student attitudes to uncover perceptions that may be addressed through targeted pedagogies. We surveyed undergraduate students pursuing science and humanities programs to quantify their attitudes toward gender equity, the importance of values, the perceived contribution of competition and collaboration to science, and to examine their understanding of multidisciplinary collaborations in science. Women more strongly supported gender equity, were more likely to recognize women's contributions, and had a more positive view of female scientists' lives. Women perceived science as more collaborative, identified a broader range of disciplines, including social sciences and humanities, to include, and viewed collaboration as working directly with others rather than using published work. We relate our results to the need for gender-sensitive pedagogies and other changes in the college science curriculum.