Work in Progress: Safe environments and female role models: important factors for girls approaching STEM-related careers through robotics initiatives

Abstract

Robotics initiatives are a great way to make students get involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math -STEM- programs and pursue STEM-related careers. However, there are still several stereotypes to be defeated when talking about women as part of the engineering activities within robotics teams. The objective of the present work is to determine the impact of women role models in robotics teams on female students' development, performance, permanence, and pursuing STEM-related careers. The preliminary results of this educational research project show that the coach's gender does not influence the student's performance, but it does influence in perceiving the environment as safer, more comfortable, and inclusive; variables improve the permanence of the female students in the team and the pursuit of STEM-related careers. Supported by the preliminary results shown in this paper, we aim to increase our sample size to achieve stronger statistical conclusions by conducting this study throughout further seasons, being able to measure the impact generated in more female students that are or were members of the robotics team at Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus.