Sense of Belonging and Self-Efficacy of Women in STEMM at the University of South Alabama

Author

Emilie Dedeaux, University of South AlabamaFollow

Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Degree Name

BS

Department

Biology

Faculty Mentor

Jeremiah Henning, Ph.D.

Advisor(s)

Laura Frost, Ph.D., Angela Google, Ph.D.

Abstract

Despite decades of calls and initiatives to diversify science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) disciplines, females are still more likely to leave STEMM career paths compared to their male peers, which is often depicted as a 'leaky pipeline'. Females in STEMM often report greater social alienation, greater selfdoubt, lower sense of belonging and academic satisfaction due to a mismatch in values in STEMM disciplines. STEMM values have traditionally been normed by cisheteronormative, white, male ideologies . While extensive research has focused on the barriers females experience in STEMM that reduce sense of belonging , less research has focused on the positive experiences in classrooms, within STEMM departments, and institutions that reinforce and strengthen sense of belonging and commitment to STEMM careers.

To address these biases in literature, we applied the Bioecological Systems Theory to contextualize the complex drivers of sense of belonging for female students within STEMM classrooms, STEMM departments, and across an academic institution. Through interviews conducted in 2021, we found common themes among classroom, department, and institution settings that strengthened belongingness and self-efficacy for females in STEMM. We found that 43.33% of female students reported that their classroom belonging increases when they perceive their professors genuinely caring for student success. Additionally, 76.67% of females report greater departmental belonging when their faculty are friendly and open, and 43.33% of females reported that institutional belonging is strengthened by their sense of community at the University of South Alabama. However, 26.67% of females feel that classroom belonging is eroded by faculty they perceive as lacking care, 20% of females reported departmental belonging is eroded by elitist departmental culture, and 16.67% of females have experienced a lack of transparency with the university that eroded their institutional belonging. Taken together, our results can provide some strategic and intentional community building and practices that STEMM instructors, departments, and academic institutions could implement to strengthen the sense of belonging for females in STEMM to spearhead retention efforts.

Recommended Citation

Dedeaux, Emilie, "Sense of Belonging and Self-Efficacy of Women in STEMM at the University of South Alabama" (2026). Honors Theses. 123.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_college_theses/123