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Stark underrepresentation exists of undergraduate women enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree programs. Although women have outnumbered men in undergraduate enrollment for over 30 years, these numbers do not apply to the sciences. Previous research shows that low self-efficacy is a barrier and high self-confidence is a strength for women in STEM. Participatory Action Research (PAR) addresses both sides of this issue by (1) answering the questions that exist about women in STEM and undergraduate research and (2) providing women in STEM with research experience. Thus, PAR not only helps solve the problem of self-efficacy that affects women in STEM, but also aids with self-esteem issues and other barriers they face daily. The current study is a PAR research project that uses group-level assessment, a participatory qualitative research method. In collaboration with female undergraduate coresearchers, the purpose of this PAR research project is to explore the experience of women conducting and/or seeking STEM undergraduate research experiences to inform program development at the university level.

We have been working with undergraduate women in engineering to assess their experiences on campus and during their co-op rotations in order to influence equitable programming and inclusive practices at our institution. Our main methodology is group-level assessment, a qualitative, participatory research method that is rooted in inclusivity, stakeholder engagement, and instigating actionable change. When our university went remote, we were faced with the challenge of transitioning our community research partnership online and continuing to use our chosen method. The current article compares participant experiences in in-person and remote environments to assess the effectiveness of moving our participatory research practices to an online platform. Findings indicated that although both in-person and virtual group-level assessments allowed participants to better understand others' experiences and allowed their voices to be heard, the in-person method was more engaging. However, the virtual method allowed more time for action planning.

Group level assessment (GLA) allows participants or co-researchers the opportunity to voice their opinions on a specific topic while also developing action strategies for change. The purpose of the method is to empower participants and provide them an outlet for sharing their experiences in addition to developing a salient action plan. In this article, we describe how the process of participating in a GLA impacted the undergraduate women engineering students who participated. We conclude that merely facilitating a GLA positively impacted participants, aside from the action steps. Women who participated in the GLA felt supported, thought that their voice was heard, and developed a heightened awareness of other women's experiences.

Studies exploring engineering students' experiences with cooperative education (co-op) typically utilize traditional quantitative and qualitative methods to focus on overall outcomes as opposed to individual voices. As a result of this, women's experiences in a co-op environment are rarely captured. Historically, women are underrepresented in engineering undergraduate programs, and this can lead to feelings of isolation and low self-efficacy, which, in turn, can lead to attrition. Participatory action research (PAR) not only highlights marginalized voices, but also empowers participants. The current study implements group-level assessment (GLA), a large-group PAR method, to study the co-op experiences of women in engineering at a large US research institution. During the GLA, participants developed an action plan to improve co-op experiences for women in order to improve retention and help future women succeed.

Participatory evaluation tools have been shown to be effective for program development in various settings, including in higher education. Taking student perspectives into consideration is key for graduate program development, particularly in interdisciplinary programs. The current study utilizes Group Level Assessment (GLA), a participatory program evaluation tool, to evaluate the Biomedical Informatics (BMI) PhD Program at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). The study was conducted two years after the program was established, an appropriate timing to gauge the opinions of current doctoral students as the program grows and develops. The findings show the strengths and identify areas of improvement of the doctoral program, providing an evidence base for administrators and faculty to work collaboratively with students to capitalize on assets and address potential issues.

Despite the broad scope of literature on the topic of women in STEM, women in male-dominated spaces within academia are rarely given the opportunity to speak openly about their disadvantages in the toxic STEM culture. The current study implements a Critical Utopian Action Research method, Future Creating Workshop (FCW), with undergraduate women in STEM in order to highlight women's voices in the context of their experiences in their undergraduate STEM programs, and develop a salient and timely action plan with women in STEM that capitalizes on their strengths and works towards dismantling barriers to their STEM participation. Four key themes that arose from the FCW that highlighted barriers women in STEM majors face: (1) Social Inequalities, (2) Research Accessibility, (3) Unwelcoming Academic Environment, and (4) Lack of Confidence. A fifth theme, 'Need for Mentorship,' developed from the action phase of the FCW, in which the women came up with suggestions for programming moving forward. The current study is couched in a larger participatory action research project, Participatory Opportunity for Women Researchers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (POWER in STEM). The purpose of POWER as a whole is to understand the lived experiences of women in STEM at the University of Cincinnati, and mobilize this knowledge to create an action plan that will influence programming.

This qualitative study explores the attitudes that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) faculty have about active learning (AL), the barriers that STEM faculty face when implementing AL, and what would encourage STEM faculty to use AL. Data was gathered using a modified Group-Level Assessment (GLA), a participatory method meant for large groups, in an online format. Thematic data analysis led to the development of four distinct faculty personas--"The Mover," "The Shaker," "The Planner," and "The Feeler." Each persona has individualized needs that will help them implement AL in the classroom. Future implications involve developing programs to help each type of faculty persona implement AL in the classroom. Administration and faculty members need to work together to develop ways to increase faculty use of AL.

While the 'action' portion of a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project is a crucial component of the process, action tends to be challenging to define, achieve, and measure. The current paper both defines and describes action within the context of a particular PAR collaboration and explores the process and challenges of navigating and implementing action in a PAR project. The specific PAR project detailed in this paper was executed within a higher education setting and involves a group of undergraduate women co-researchers studying their experiences in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields.

The “chilly” science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) climate in undergraduate settings has been widely documented, as women in STEM majors frequently face discrimination, microaggressions, and implicit bias from their professors and peers. While undergraduate research experiences can help women in STEM overcome some of the barriers they face, these opportunities are not always accessible and inclusive. Although there is a breadth of literature on this topic, many studies utilize traditional quantitative and qualitative methods and do not take the authentic, individualized voices of these women into account. The present study integrates two arts-based participatory methodologies—Photovoice and collage inquiry—to explore the following questions: (1) What are the experiences of women in STEM majors at a large midwestern researchintensive university? (2) How do these women experience conducting and/or seeking research opportunities? Four themes emerged from the analysis of the triangulated data: (1) lack of equity in STEM, (2) lack of awareness of opportunities, (3) confidence in STEM abilities, and (4) passion for STEM. While the first two themes encompass barriers that women in STEM face, the second two themes demonstrate the strengths of women in STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic challenged many of us as researchers, requiring that we reflect upon our methods and make modifications to allow for online facilitation. As researchers who traditionally use participatory research (PR) methods, we were significantly challenged to reflect on our approach and the ways in which we may remain true to the spirit of PR. Through this article, we provide an overview of how we modified two PR methods, Group-Level Assessment (GLA) and Photovoice. Additionally, we provide a debrief on the aspects of PR we intentionally reflected on as part of our modification process, particularly how we upheld and honored the tenets of PR throughout these modified processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With screening for fetal anomaly becoming more common, more families are faced with making decisions based on receiving fetal anomaly diagnoses after the first trimester. After receiving a diagnosis of fetal anomaly, which is typically associated with shock and denial, pregnant people and couples immediately become faced with a difficult decision of either continuing or terminating the pregnancy. Once a pregnancy termination decision has been made, following abortion of a wanted pregnancy, feelings of grief and sadness are common. While research has been done on the impact of decision-making and mental health diagnoses pre- and post-terminating a wanted pregnancy, there has been little research detailing effective coping strategies for dealing with these unexpected and devastating circumstances. The current study is a feminist analytic autoethnography, which details the experience of my own abortion through a reflexive account. I aim to explore my own methods of coping that were successful as I overcame grief, guilt, and anxiety after terminating my wanted pregnancy due to a fetal anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomedical Informatics (BMI) is an interdisciplinary field that involves aspects of both biomedical engineering and healthcare informatics, each of which are also multidisciplinary. BMI is an amalgam of information technology and informatics, computer science and biomedical sciences, and healthcare and medicine. As such, there is a dearth of research on the under/representation of women in BMI. Although there is a lack of research on women in BMI, the literature surrounding women in similar and adjacent fields demonstrates a stark underrepresentation, as well as poor experiences in these male-dominated fields. While the experiences of women within related fields points to similar experiences in BMI, more research must be carried out to determine the specific barriers and hurdles that women in BMI face. The current project employs Group-Level Assessment (a participatory methodology) with women in a BMI department in order to better understand their experiences, as well as create a salient action plan towards improving those experiences. Isolation, (lack of) inclusivity, and inspiration were three key themes identified through the GLA data. The GLA participants also developed an action plan as a result of the issues that surfaced. Several of the proposed action steps were implemented within six months of the group meeting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected working professionals around the world, causing many to alter their identities to cope with their current realities. This article explores the effect the pandemic has had on the identity of two mothers, who are also working professionals/educators. Using a heartful autoethnography approach, the authors implement the listening guide method of analysis to authentically understand how these mothers experience identity and connection while working and parenting during this worldwide crisis. The listening guide approach involves the creation of "I-poems," which are included and explored in the current article. The listening revealed four main themes: (1) mental load and exhaustion; (2) conflicting identities; (3) shame cycle; and (4) connection and reflection. The goal of this manuscript is to highlight the experiences of working mothers through an authentic and relational approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]