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Dr. Allison Master

@allisonmaster.bsky.social
5.2K followers 2.4K following 1.2K posts

Principal Education Researcher at IACE, Associate Prof at U of Houston, studying how to motivate students in STEM. Academic mama. Bookworm. Every mistake, we must surely be learning. She/her/hers. Views expressed here are my own. Abolish ICE.

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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
There were some interesting exploratory findings: girls who learned about structural explanations were more likely to believe their interest in a new activity could develop over time, and perceived gender differences to be smaller. (8/9)
Graphs showing that girls in the structural condition perceived gender gaps as smaller and were more likely to say they could develop interest in the finding game.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Neither experiment worked as we expected (despite promising pilot data), but we still found lots of meaningful links between mindsets, beliefs about causes of gender differences, and girls’ interest in STEM. (6/9)
Table 3. Correlations for variables for students in Grade 6 are displayed below the diagonal (N = 161). Correlations for variables for students in Grade 8 are displayed above the diagonal (N = 90). Diff. score = difference score (ratings about boys minus ratings about girls)Table 7. The correlations among study variables are presented below the diagonal for the structural condition (N = 110) and above the diagonal for the control condition (N = 110). Attrib. = attribution. Ster.= stereotypes.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The structural explanation involved learning that gender differences in interest in a novel activity (the "finding game") were because boys had gotten more opportunities to play with it. (5/9)
In the structural condition, girls heard, "Boys are given more opportunities to play the finding game, and girls are given more other games instead. Different experiences made them different."
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The growth mindset manipulation involved a video story about a girl learning that coding ability was malleable. (4/9)
Two panels from the video: one with a girl clutching her stomach and saying, "I tried a couple times, but I decided I just wasn't good at coding;" one with her asking three friends in a classroom, "Really? It didn't make sense when you started either?" and a friend replying, "The more I did it, the better I got!"
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Key idea: countering gender stereotypes involves changing girls' perceptions that “STEM is not for me.” Two approaches: counter beliefs that "I can’t change" (with growth mindsets) or counter beliefs that "my group cannot change" (by teaching structural explanations for gender differences) (3/9)
Fig. 1 Theory of Change for Study 1 and Study 2. Gender stereotypes may increase girls’ perceptions that STEM is “not for me.” In Study 1, girls in the growth mindset condition should be more likely to believe that they could change their ability in computer science, which should lead to higher motivation. In Study 2, girls in the structural differences condition should be more likely than girls in the internal differences condition to agree that groups can change over time because they have an environmental explanation for gender gaps. Agreement that groups can change should lead girls to believe that their personal interest could change, promoting higher motivation
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Huge congratulations to Doctor @khlee.bsky.social! ❤️❤️❤️ In addition to her dissertation, she also created a very cute tiny human being this year. 😍
An Asian woman receiving a doctoral hoodAllison Master and Kahyun Lee at the University of Houston graduation stageTwo women holding a very very cute baby in front of a 2026 GRAD balloons backdrop
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
For Me was the most common, including 36% of girls and 30% of boys. This one showed high self-perceptions, often higher than both ingroup and outgroup perceptions. Compared to For All, this one had lower perceptions of ingroup and outgroup members, so math was “more for me than for them.”
This table shows comparisons of stereotypes within each profile (e.g., did girls and boys in each profile hold stereotypes favoring boys' or girls' math interest and ability?).
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
The For All profile included 32% of girls and 22% of boys. This profile generally showed high mean scores across all indicators for both genders, reflecting a belief that everyone was competent and interested in math.
This table shows mean scores, proportional sizes, and math grades for the profiles of girls and boys in each study.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
The profiles showed groups of students whose self-perceptions and stereotypes corresponded to views that math was "for all," "for me," "for some," "for others," or "for few." (Not just high, medium, and low motivation profiles!)
Profile plots showing groups of students whose self-perceptions and stereotypes corresponded to views that math was "for all," "for me," "for some," "for others," or "for few."
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
We had two studies involving 2,266 students in Grades 6-12. We looked at demographic predictors of profile membership (separately for girls and boys) and how those profiles predicted math grades.
Latent Profile Model of Gender Stereotypes and Self-Perceptions. The latent profile variable was defined by six indicator variables to address Research Question 1 (number of profiles, profile sizes, and characteristics of profiles). For Research Question 2, the latent profile variable was regressed on three demographic predictors, including socioeconomic status, racial/ethnic minority status, and educational level of the student (middle or high school). The latent profile variable was also hypothesized to predict students’ math grades. Research questions were examined separately for adolescent girls and boys.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
On Monday, we had the pleasure of having Dr. David Yeager join our Adolescent Development class to talk about bullying and victimization, and mindset research more broadly. 🤩 He talked about inspiration for his research, following bright spot teachers, and the findings he really believes in.
A bunch of grad students and Allison Master on Zoom looking adoringly at Dr. David Yeager because we love his work so much
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
We had a fantastic time today in Psychology of Learning in STEM talking to Dr. Jerrod Henderson about engineering education. It was a "VIBE" and he made so many great connections for us to other research and important ideas around identity and belonging. 😍
A bunch of graduate students in a Teams class who look excited and engaged after hearing Dr. J's wisdom for more than an hour
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Terrific talks this morning by @summerrobinson.bsky.social and @choijyc.bsky.social! Our lab is so proud of their work. 😍 with @poojaroy0514.bsky.social
One proud professor and three graduate students doing the UH “Go Coogs” hand signSummer Robinson presenting her talk on increasing girls’ interest in coding with peer videosClaudia Choi concluding her talk on STEM mindsets and impostor feelings among adolescents
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
So far so good, #AERA26!
Beautiful LA sunset from the 57th (!) floor
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
And I know this will be a low attended session, but I will personally be presenting our poster on preservice teachers' math mindsets (with @khlee.bsky.social and co-authors) Sunday morning 7:45-9:15 in the Convention Center, Level Two, Poster Hall - Exhibit Hall A, #49. Come have coffee with me!
Poster title: Longitudinal Changes in Preservice Elementary Math Teachers’ Mindsets Across Three Courses (Poster 49)
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Saturday 11:45-1:15pm, come see Paul Turcotte talk about our new chapter in the upcoming Handbook on Gender and STEM (co-authors Sydney Baker and @khlee.bsky.social). We are excited for discussant @krisarob.bsky.social!
Talk title: Links Between Gender Stereotypes and Gender Gaps in STEM Motivation in Childhood and Adolescence
Symposium title: Bridging Equity Gaps in STEM: Insights from the Upcoming Handbook on Gender and STEM
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
On Friday from 11:45-1:15, join me in Westin Bonaventure, Lobby Level, Beaudry B, for a 🔥🔥🔥 symposium called "Here's The Real Story: Transparent Discussion about Struggles that Underlie Successful Research," organized by @yinchen.bsky.social, Kori Nicolai, and Emily Rosenzweig. Looks so so good!!
Symposium title: Here's The Real Story: Transparent Discussion about Struggles that Underlie Successful Research
Talk title: Mistakes were Made and Lessons were Learned: Why We Should Always Check the Full Survey Flow
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Next, from 11:45 to 1:15 in the same room, @choijyc.bsky.social will give a talk titled, “Not Smart Enough”: STEM Mindsets and the Impostor Phenomenon in Adolescents (co-authored by @khlee.bsky.social). We are excited to see the other mindset talks and discussant Katie Muenks!
Talk title: “Not Smart Enough”: STEM Mindsets and the Impostor Phenomenon in Adolescents
Symposium title: Mindsets and Motivation Across Contexts: Developmental and Disciplinary Perspectives on Self-Beliefs and Learning
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
On my way to #AERA26! If you will be there Wednesday, join us for two awesome symposia from our lab. First up, from 9:45-11:15am at the Westin Bonaventure, Floor: Level 2, Mt. Washington, @summerrobinson.bsky.social will present the exciting results from our recent NSF-funded field intervention!
Talk title: The Right Messages from the Right Messengers: Increasing Girls’ Interest in Coding with Peer Videos
Symposium title: Messages, Pedagogies, and Identities: Building Belonging for Diverse Learners
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Happy Pi Day!!
Chocolate cream pie covered, and I mean absolutely COVERED, in dark chocolate shavings My daughter in a blue apron looking very excited about the chocolate cream pie she just made
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Grad school reunions should be an official thing. I went back to Stanford today to celebrate Bing Nursery School’s 60 anniversary research panel, and it was so lovely to see old friends and the wonderful professors who forever changed my life. ❤️
Ellen Markman, Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, Carissa Romero, Carol Dweck, Greg Walton and Allison Master sitting on an outdoor couch under a tree
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Also the outdoor hits!
Ocean Beach at sunset
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
This is what it looks like:
SPSS output table
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
I'm looking forward to talking about our STEM education research with parents through The Parent Venture's talk series! Info below in case you know any interested parents: Breaking the Stereotypes: How to Support STEM Learning and Motivation
Breaking the Stereotypes: How to Support STEM Learning and Motivation
Allison Master, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Houston
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 5:30pm – 6:30pm PT, Virtual Event (Live)

Register: https://allisonmaster2026.eventbrite.com

Allison Master, PhD, will talk about why some students (especially girls) show lower motivation and participation in STEM, and what parents can do to encourage ALL kids in STEM.

Parents/caregivers, students, educators, and community members welcome! Simultaneous Spanish interpretation will be available. Free admission.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Well, it’s Groundhog Day AGAIN! Wishing you all an early spring and a little bit of joy today. Around here we celebrate by making groundhog cookies, wearing silly hats, and giving presents.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
In support of the idea that STEM belonging is crucial, the US Dept. of Ed. created a “YOU Belong In STEM” initiative in 2022 to strengthen nationwide STEM education outcomes by promoting a sense of belonging for all students. This paper represents part of our participation in this initiative. (12/N)
logo of the YOU Belong in STEM initiative
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Why does this matter? Belonging plays a key role in whether adolescents choose to take STEM courses, major in STEM fields, and enter STEM careers. However, not everyone feels that they belong there. (8/N)
Effect sizes of gender differences in belonging by grade level found in the systematic review (A) and mega-analysis (B). Gender differences were largest in CS and engineering, especially in middle and high school.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
The supplementary info has tons more information about each reviewed study and their measures. We also zoom in on the size of gender gaps by grade level, STEM field, and racial/ethnic groups in the mega-analysis. We hope this is helpful for future research in this area! (7/N)
I heart data
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Middle school was a particularly vulnerable time for girls, especially Latina girls in all four STEM fields. (6/N)
Four Latina girls wearing eye protectors participating in the DIY girls program
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
So we combined 5 large datasets from our lab with >6,000 students in Grades 1-12 in a mega-analysis. Key findings: gender gaps began in middle school, were largest in middle and high school, and were largest in CS and engineering (all STEM fields are not the same!). (5/N)
Gender differences in sense of belonging in four STEM fields across five past studies in the mega-analysis. Gender gaps were largest in CS and engineering, and in middle/high school.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
@patelkhushboo.bsky.social led our team in the first systematic review of quantitative studies of K-12 STEM belonging; we found 50 studies in 46 papers. (3/N)
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for systematic review. A total of 50 independent studies published in 46 articles are included in this review, which included searches of databases, registers and other sources.
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 25/12/2025
Merry Christmas from Ocean Beach!
Slightly wonky Christmas tree on the beach
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Above and beyond all that, I am so proud of the wonderful, supportive community that we've built. Students go out of their way to help and support each other. ♥️ Our I AM Lab has a joint meeting with the Becoming Lab this year, and it's been such a gift for students to connect with that lab.
Members of I AM Lab and the Becoming Lab carving pumpkins with family members
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
and last but certainly not least, Paul Turcotte drafted an entire manuscript using institutional data with >24,000 students (!) to see how comparative grade penalties in first-year STEM courses predicted switching out of STEM majors and graduating with STEM degrees six years later:
Brilliance, Belonging, and the Cost of Grades: Intersectional Penalties in Introductory STEM
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
@summerrobinson.bsky.social drafted an AERA submission using latent profile analyses to look at math anxiety and enjoyment through the lens of control-value theory:
Math Anxiety in Latent Profile Analysis: The Nuances of Math Anxiety Overlooked in Linear Analyses
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
@tjroyuh.bsky.social made an infographic about what researchers need to know about grit in terms of measurement and validity debates:
Measuring grit: a comprehensive research framework
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Nobonita Saha wrote a scoping review on academic perseverance among college students:
ROLE OF PERSEVERANCE IN COLLEGE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A SCOPING REVIEW
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Syeda Kabir write a literature review on parent involvement and children's social-emotional learning:
Effect of Parental Involvement on Children’s Social and Emotional Learning
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Hong Ngo designed a new study to look at generative AI adoption intentions through the lens of situated expectancy-value theory and how this might relate students' active procrastination (and taught herself how to do Monte Carlo simulations!):
Expectancy-Value and Usability Correlates of GenAI Adoption Intentions and Active Procrastination: A Structural Equation Model
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
@zachbaquet.bsky.social wrote a lit review about Black parents' choices and motivation in predominantly White schools, focusing on Black joy, racialized opportunity costs, and racial socialization through the lens of situated expectancy-value theory:
Choosing Black Joy: Black Parents’ Choices & Motivation
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
@poojaroy0514.bsky.social wrote a draft of an AERA submission looking at how interest mindsets (the idea that your interest can grow) related to interest and achievement in math and language arts by gender (which showed moderated mediation for math but not language arts!):
Mindsets matter: gender moderates links between mindsets, interest, and academic performance in math but not language arts
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Idris Yusuf made an infographic about metacognition and AI, which we know is a hot topic these days:
Many students use GenAI, which can have benefits for metacognition but also can offer threats to the use of metacognition
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Kazi Hadi made an infographic about the influence of stereotypes on women's participation in STEM, with suggestions for ways that everyone can work to address stereotypes:
Women are underrepresented in CSE education and workforce; stereotypes contribute to underrepresentation; why stereotypes matter; and how everyone can work to address stereotypes
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Kazi Rukan Uddin made an infographic about the importance of motivational beliefs in science across countries, with meaningful policy implications:
Motivational beliefs matter in science achievement, including self-concept, intrinsic value, and utility value, with a graph showing motivational beliefs by country
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Madiha Saadat created an infographic focused on understanding and supporting South Asian women's pathways in STEM:
Understanding South Asian women's STEM pathways using situated expectancy-value theory: challenges for South Asian women and how to take meaningful action
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
@lladastra.bsky.social made an infographic for high school teachers about the importance of their own growth mindsets and how to shape students' mindsets:
It begins with us: teachers' mindsets can foster or hinder their students' growth
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Happy #CSEdWeek! So far this week I’ve shared videos, op-eds, and infographics about our lab’s research on gender equity in CS. Today I want to share the research itself! Data lovers, rejoice—today is your day! (1/14) #WomeninSTEM #AcademicSky #PsychSciSky #DevPsychSky #SocialPsyc #EduSky #CompSky
I heart data
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Finally, our pandemic-era infographic for parents about how to support their young children in STEM at home! (11/13) uh.edu/education/ia...
Time for play, STEM time is anytime, and all together
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
Same infographic, in Spanish! Emplee las siguientes prácticas comprobadas para que todos se sientan motivados. (10/13) uh.edu/education/ia...
Encontremos motivacion
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Dr. Allison Master @allisonmaster.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
How can teachers keep students motivated? (Created in response to the pandemic, but still true!) (9/13) uh.edu/education/ia...
Room for everyone, make it social, power of process, and use supportive language
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