Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ed.D. Program: Casey Kreitman “The Underrepresentation of Females in the Field of STEM Through the Voices of Middle School Girls”

Despite women comprising nearly half of the workforce and college-bound population, they represent only 27% of the STEM workforce, with women of color making up just 5%. This underrepresentation begins during K-12 education, particularly as girls transition to middle school mathematics. While research documents this “leaky pipeline,” few studies examine the lived experiences of middle school girls, especially girls of color, in mathematics education. This qualitative study explores how eighth-grade girls develop their mathematical identities and investigates the factors that influence their engagement with mathematics. Drawing upon Social Identity Theory and Intersectionality Theory, this research employs focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 15-20 eighth-grade girls at Malcolm Nettingham Middle School, where the student population is 40% minority and significant achievement gaps persist between racial groups. Through purposive sampling emphasizing diverse representation, this study examines how girls describe their relationship with mathematics and how race, ethnicity, and gender intersect to shape their mathematical experiences. By elevating the voices of middle school girls, particularly girls of color, this research aims to provide insights into creating more inclusive mathematics learning environments and addressing the systemic barriers that contribute to women’s underrepresentation in STEM fields.