Accidental Scientists
How Undergraduate Research in Political Science Can Help to Patch the “Leaky Pipeline” in STEM Education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12379526 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lisa Mueller (0000-0003-3524-3371, Macalester College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 56 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 506-511 |
| Publication date | 2023-01-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PS Political Science & Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1049-0965 • E-ISSN: 1537-5935 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1049096522001263 |
| OpenAlex | W4318595353 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 20 |
Education advocates lament the “leaky pipeline” in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), whereby students—especially minorities and women—drop out of STEM at successive stages of the educational system. Defining empirical political science as a branch of STEM, this article proposes that undergraduate research in political science can help to patch this leaky pipeline and expand access to scientific skills and habits of mind. I elaborate on three rationales to support my claim: (1) political science is a relatively diverse field of STEM; (2) college primes students to think like (political) scientists; and (3) students often encounter political science research opportunities for the first time as undergraduates, presenting an opportunity for faculty to “catch” those who selected out of STEM after high school. I substantiate my arguments by drawing on enrollment data, archival documents, the theories of John Dewey, and testimonials from former undergraduate researchers. I also recommend ways for political science departments to provide a meaningful STEM education by enhancing research programs
Engineering ethics · Lament · Mathematics education · Pipeline (software · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Science education · Science, technology, society and environment education · Sociology · Academic Freedom and Politics · Computer Science · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Engineering · Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences · Law · Psychology
The trouble with STEAM and why we use it anyway
Learning by Doing
Children and Politics
The Missing Link
Emerging Models of Collaboration in Political Science
Campus Politics, Student Societies and Social Media
Legacies of the Third Reich
Epistemic Cultures
Hotbeds of Activism
Critical Mass, Social Networks and Collective Action
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |