Cultural and Social Barriers to STEM Career Orientations and Retention Among Saudi Women Students in Tertiary Education

Abstract

This qualitative study was designed to explore the existing social, cultural, and religious barriers women students experience in Saudi Arabia when they plan to take a STEM program of studies at the tertiary level. To determine the mindset of people towards women's education and career orientation in STEM fields in Saudi culture, 15 women studying in the USA and taking undergraduate or graduate courses in STEM fields were interviewed. The data were consolidated for thematic analysis, and a total of 10 themes emerged for four research questions exploring students’ challenges in STEM education, people's mindsets, the support levels women have, and their resilience towards cultural barriers. The results of the study indicated that women have a consistent and significant amount of support from their parents and peers, and the most substantial challenges they faced were the social and cultural norms set for women in the context of religious teachings. Nonetheless, the women interviewees were found to be resilient against unfair social practices, stereotypical thoughts about women’s abilities, and gendered roles in society. Governmental policies and social reforms are the strongest change elements in society; parents who believed in the importance of women's education in family growth and national development were found to be more flexible and supportive towards women's education in STEM programs. It is recommended that a collective effort of religious leaders, governmental officials, and other societal figures play their pivotal role in social transformation, abolishing unfair restrictions on women, realizing their equal role in the national economy, and permitting them to pursue STEM programs according to their abilities.