Incompatible goals: Narratives of graduate women in the mathematics pipeline

Despite 2 decades of research and attention directed at enhancing their participation, the number of women earning a PhD in science and mathematics remains low. This article presents the results of an interpretive study of the educational and career paths of female students who have successfully completed a bachelor's or master's degree in mathematics and have chosen to leave the mathematics/science pipeline to research scientist in order to pursue a doctorate in education. The women's narratives portray the difference between their views of themselves and the nature of their chosen discipline. The emergent themes are examined against the conceptual framework of women's participation in the mathematics/science pipeline and women and their relationship to mathematics.