Navigating Barriers and Mentoring Support: The Career Goals of Women Doctoral Students in Chemistry

In chemistry, women are still underrepresented in the postbaccalaureate stages. However, there has been limited discussion in STEM education that treats chemistry as a singular discipline and explores doctoral students' experiences from a mentoring perspective. This qualitative research study investigated how contextual factors (i.e., social barriers and social support) and personal factors (i.e., being a female student) influence students' motivation and career goals in chemistry based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory, with an emphasis on mentoring experience as one of the contextual factors. Fourteen women doctoral students were interviewed. The findings revealed that women students rarely planned to stay in academia because of the barriers they experienced, such as the overwork norm. Women students faced microaggressions, such as others questioning their ability, a lack of sense of belonging, and unequal involvement in administration work. Mentoring support as a format of social support can mitigate these challenges. However, students' needs were nuanced depending on their developmental stages. The study concludes with nine action items for faculty members to support women students' success in chemistry, providing valuable information for future policy and mentoring training program designs.