A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY OF KOREAN AND AMERICAN FEMALE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CAREER DECISION MAKING

Funded as part of the National Science Foundation three -year project.

Purpose: This study was a collaborative research project between the Korean Institute for Youth Development and the Center for Information Technology Impacts on Children, Youth, and Families. It used the theoretical framework of self-authorship to study Korean and American female students’ career decision-making processes and factors shown in the literature to be related to an interest in IT. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore variables predicting self-authorship across the cultures.

Progress: A research presentation was made at the Phi Beta Delta Eighteenth Annual International Conference, March 25-27, 2004 in Washington, DC. A research presentation was made at the IFHE World Congress in Kyoto, Japan, August 6, 2004
Participants: Dr. Peggy S. Meszaros, Dr. Elizabeth Creamer, Dr. Carol Burger, Soyoung Lee, Doctoral candidate, and Dr. Seon Mee Kim, Korea.

WOMEN IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: PIVOTAL TRANSITIONS FROM SCHOOL TO CAREERS

$655, 849 from the National Science Foundation for three-year project

This study is an interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty with expertise in the areas of gender and science, quantitative and qualitative research methods in the social sciences, and information technology impacts on children, youth, and families. The project completed activities of the third year that are detailed under the progress section.

Investigators: Dr. Carol Burger, Dr.Elizabeth Creamer & Dr. Peggy S. Meszaros
(Graduate Assistants: Soyoung Lee and Anne Laughlin)

Progress: The third year of the grant was been productive with research presentations and articles in peer-refereed journals:

Meszaros, P.S., Burger, C.J., & Creamer, E. (in press). Factors influencing successful IT women’s career choices: A qualitative study. Advancing Women in Leadership.

Meszaros, P.S., Creamer, E.C., & Burger, C.J.(in press). Mothers and millenials: Career talking across the generations. Kappa Omicron Nu Forum.

Creamer,E.C. Laughlin, A. , Burger, C.J. & Meszaros,P.S. (2004). Women in information technology: Triangulating questionnaire and interview data. American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2004 Structured Poster Session, peer-reviewed, Triangulating the Findings of Research about Girl’s Choice of IT Careers, San Diego, CA.

Creamer, E.C., Meszaros, P.S.& Burger, C.J. (2004). Cognitive Development and Career Decision Making. Roundtable Presentation. American Educational Research Association (AERA) National Conference. San Diego, CA.

Creamer, E.C., Magolda, M.B., Meszaros, P.S.,& Burger, C.J. (2004). Student’s Resistance to Career Advice: An Interactive Dialogue. General Convention Program. American College Personnel Association Nation Conference. Philadelphia, PA.

Creamer, E.G., Burger, C.J. & Meszaros, P.S., (2004)Characteristics of high school and college women interested in information technology. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, vol.10, (1).

GSE: FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE IT CAREER CHOICE MODEL THROUGH RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION

Two year grant funded by the National Science Foundation.

Burger, C., Creamer, E. & Meszaros, P.2004.

Amount of grant: $194,456.00.

Progress: This grant will begin October 1. 2004 and will provide funds to further refine survey instruments and produce a Facilitator’s Guide to accompany the video portraying the lives of three women who chose IT careers.

WOMEN IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: PIVOTAL TRANSITIONS FROM SCHOOL TO CAREERS

Burger, C.J., Creamer, E.C. & Meszaros, P.S.(2004). Funded by the National Science Foundation for $34,250.00 to extend the original grant and to plan for an international conference in Oxford, England in August 2005.

VIRGINIA TECH SUMMER TRAINING ACADEMY FOR RISING STUDENTS (VTSTARS)

McPherson, E., Isenhour, P., Sforza, P., Meszaros, P., & Williams, R. 2004. Three year research grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

Amount of grant: $397.640.00

Progress: This grant will begin September, 2004 and will use the theory framework of self-authorship to assess intellectual growth and career choice of at-risk high schools students from southwest Virginia.

PSYCHOSOCIAL ISK FACTORS AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES FOR ADOLESCENT FEMALE SMOKERS IN VIRGINIA

$130,000 funding through Virginia Tobacco Settlement, Virginia Commonwealth University Youth Coalition

This study seeks to understand the cause of youth tobacco use by adolescent females in Virginia, and is producing information for improved prevention of youth smoking. The two-year study is completing the second year of funding. This year has seen completion of data collection and analysis of female smoking behavior, identified the risk and protective factors influencing smoking behavior, identified effective program interventions, and evaluated sensory gating and frontal lobe functioning. The project has been extended for an additional six months to produce a monograph, complete a website, and hold a seminar focused on findings.

Investigators: Dr. Peggy S. Meszaros, Dr. Angela Huebner, Dr. Fred Piercy, Dr. Helen Crawford, Dr. Neal Castagnoli, Dr. Kay Castagnoli (Graduate Research Assistants: Lauren Shettler, Sean Davis, Jenny Matheson)

Progress: Davis S., Piercy, F., Meszaros, P., Huebner, A., Shetler, L., & Matheson, J. (in press). Female adolescent smoking: A Delphi study of best prevention practices. Journal of Drug Education.

Matheson, J. L., Meszaros, P., Huebner, A., Piercy, F., Davis, S., &Shettler, L. (2004). "Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking Among AdolescentFemales in the U.S.: A Focus on Data from Four National Surveys." Posterpresentation at the Virginia Youth Tobacco Coalition Conference, Richmond, VA.

Matheson, J. L., & Meszaros, P. (in review). Influences on adolescentgirls' decisions not to smoke cigarettes: Results from a qualitative study. Family Relations

Huebner, A., Shettler, L., Matheson, J. L., Meszaros, P., Piercy, F., & Davis,S. (in press). Factors associated with former smokers among female adolescents in rural Virginia. Addictive Behaviors.

Huebner, A., Shettler, L., Matheson, J. L., Meszaros, P., Piercy, F., & Davis,S. (in press). Examining ethnic differences in predictors of female adolescent smoking in rural Virginia. Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse.

Matheson, J. L., Meszaros, P., Huebner, A., Piercy, F., Davis, S., & Shettler, L. (2004). Prevalence of cigarette smoking among adolescents in the U.S.: A focus on data for females from four national surveys. Poster presentation at the Virginia Tobacco Research Coalition‚s Statewide Conference, Richmond, VA.

Meszaros, P.S., Koch, R.J. & Huebner, A. (2004). Adolescent female smokers: Gender-specific prevalence, risk and protective factors. Paper presented at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence 66th Annual Scientific Meeting, June 17, 2004, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD AND NUTRITION EXTENSION PROGRAMS TARGETED TO FAMILIES

$3250 funded from Center for Information Technology Impacts on Children, Youth, and Families

Progress: Hertzler, A. A., Brochetti, D., Stewart, D., & Templeman, N. (2003). Information technology in food and nutrition extension programs. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 95(4), 23-27.