Dr. Allison Mattheis is an associate professor in the Division of Applied and Advanced Studies in Education at California State University Los Angeles, where she teaches courses in qualitative research methods and sociopolitical contexts of education. She taught middle school science for 8 years prior to pursuing a Master and Doctorate of Educational Policy and Leadership at the University of Minnesota. She earned an undergraduate degree at Oberlin College, where she majored in International Politics, Environmental Studies and minored in Geology. Dr. Mattheis collaborates with STEM colleagues on research and advocacy projects related to LGBTQIA+ identities and is a member of the ADVANCEGeo team working to reduce harassment and discrimination in the Geosciences.
This proposal outlines an integrative meta-synthesis of the ways that gender is defined as a variable or identity characteristic in extant research on gender in STEM instruction and mentorship in higher education, how it is considered in combination with other social identities, and what interventions are most commonly proposed to address issues of underrepresentation. By analyzing research published since 2010 in approximately 30 relevant journals and employing different disciplinary and epistemological perspectives, promising exemplars will be identified and a set of guidelines informed by intersectionality will be developed to guide future research.
