Author(s): Trinity Fugal
Mentor(s): Britt Wyatt
Institution UVU
Women tend to be less likely to graduate with a biology degree than men at Utah Valley University. This contrasts with national trends where women are more likely than men to graduate with a biology degree. One potential contributor to the disparities in graduation rates could be related to the responsibilities and support systems students have. All of which can be influenced by gender. For example, about 91% of women with children spend at least an hour per day on housework, compared with 30% of men with children (European Institute for Gender Equality, 2022). This study thus aims to identify potential differences between life responsibilities and support systems of men and women students enrolled in science classes at a large public teaching-focused university. Specifically, we focused on how factors such as socioeconomic status, financial concerns, life responsibilities, and support systems may indicate student success in science. After surveying science students and conducting a data analysis, the results showed apparent gender differences in managing family life and household chores. Specifically, women indicated significantly higher responsibility in managing family life (d =.37, small effect size) and household chores (d =.59, medium effect size) compared to men. Additionally, women indicated significantly lower support from their religious community. However, this was a small effect size (d =.20). These findings suggest that women may have additional responsibilities and potentially lower support systems outside of their education, which may impact their success in science. Exploring how these factors specifically impact student success in science will be explored further.