Portraits of Achievement: A Multimodal Study to Identify the Characteristics of Successful Women in STEM Education Chapter in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is widely recognized as a significant global issue within the academic community and the labor market. This study aims to identify common characteristics of a ¿successful woman¿ as portrayed in online content. Specifically, it seeks to understand the traits of successful women by analyzing data collected from students in the form of images and text. The participants were 128 private Mexican high school students, all enrolled in STEM courses. Data was gathered through an eOpen instrument, where participant´s personal information was protected and anonymized according to the institution's ethical guidelines on data management. Using natural language processing (NLP) for text analysis and the VGG16 model for image analysis, this research conducts a comprehensive multimodal study to prioritize the traits students perceive as essential for success in women. The aim is to understand these perceptions to potentially incorporate such characteristics into educational strategies that inspire and motivate students (mainly female) to pursue STEM careers. The findings from this study may contribute to creating more inclusive and supportive academic environments for aspiring women in STEM. Moreover, this research presents an opportunity for society (primarily educational institutions) to challenge limiting stereotypes and promote a more realistic and inclusive understanding of what it means to be a successful woman today. Ultimately, this work contributes to the broader goal of fostering a future where gender equity becomes a reality. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

publication date

  • January 1, 2025