This paper addresses the marked underrepresentation of women (in particular, women of low socio-economic status) in engineering careers by studying the impact of an arts-infused engineering intervention in the middle grades. Engineering, like the other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields, has traditionally been perceived as a male domain, whereas the arts and humanities have traditionally been viewed as more ‘feminine’ fields. These stereotypes have been increasingly challenged, including by studies that show girls earn higher grades than boys in all subject areas, at all stages of their K-12 schooling. Yet, in the post-secondary realm, males continue to dominate the STEM fields in terms of educational degrees earned and career paths. This phenomenon has been attributed to various causes, including peer pressure, competing values, differences in brain structure and functioning, systemic patriarchy, preconceived notions of engineers and gender stereotyping and identity performance. This mixed methods study examines how adolescent girls make sense of engineering versus visual art as a field of study, arguing that when the two subject areas are integrated, girls develop more accurate understanding of the nature of engineering as well as the nature of art. As a result, they are better able to perceive the expansive, multi-disciplinary potential of engineering. This, in turn, leads them to consider careers in engineering.
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