Factor Affecting Female Students' choice of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Career Choice: Literature Review (original) (raw)
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This study examined factors that influence middle school students’ dispositions towards science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. Interest and ability in STEM subject areas were compared by gender, based on 182 middle school students’ responses to four different test instruments. While findings from t-tests indicated significant differences between males and females on mathematics interest scores, no significant differences were found in science, technology, engineering, or STEM career interest. Stepwise multiple regression showed that STEM variables explained 47% of the variance in boys pursuing a STEM career and 36% of the variance in girls. The findings of this study underscore the challenges that still exist in achieving equal gender representation in the STEM workforce, and suggest that adopting a constructivist learning approach may provide a foundation for girls to develop a more positive approach toward science, boost STEM awareness and interest, and increas...
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The issue of women being underrepresented in STEM careers has become a global concern. Literature review shows that imbalance in STEM careers based on gender is due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Thus, this study investigated the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to STEM careers' interest. STEM career interest based on gender was also investigated. 354 secondary school students (14 years old) responded to a questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics (MANOVA) were employed. The students showed a medium-high level of interest in STEM careers. Boys tend to show higher interest compared to girls. Therefore, all parties need to play their role in creating a positive perception of STEM careers by considering the needs of male and female students.
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This research attempts to present a profile of students' career interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in Indonesia. This study used a descriptive survey research approach. The STEM-Career Interest Survey was utilized to collect data (STEM-CIS). The survey sample consists of 270 online questionnaires created with Google Forms. Analyzing students' mean STEM-CIS data per question item was performed to define each part of social-cognitive career theory (SCCT). Based on the findings of the STEM-CIS, the average STEM career interest of students in science is 3.35, technology is 3.50, engineering is 2.93, and mathematics is 3.40. A review of Social-Cognitive Career Theory in the STEM sector finds that the technology profession has the highest average score in a vote of 270 students, according to the research findings. The average result expectations score for the technology industry is 4.43.
The influence of gender on STEM career choice: A partial least squares analysis
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Students’ participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is still one of the most critical worldwide educational challenges despite efforts to promote STEM. Debates about gender disparities in STEM careers also remain perpetual. Early documented literature suggested shifts in students’ STEM choices were due to students’ significant others, media exposure and attitude. Therefore, the first aim of this paper was to examine the direct and indirect relationships in a proposed model, and analyze the mediating roles of media exposure and students’ attitude in the relationship between subjective norms and STEM career choice intention. The second aim was to analyze the moderating role of students’ gender. Respondents of this study were 806 secondary school students in Malaysia. Based on the results from partial least squares structural equation modeling, (i) subjective norms had both direct and indirect influence on students’ career choice intention in STEM, (ii) ...
Social cognitive factors of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics career interests
International journal for educational and vocational guidance, 2020
Guided by the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this study examines the factors influencing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career interests and the career goals of college students in Taiwan (N = 320). A two-step modeling approach was used. First, the measurement part of the model was examined followed by a test of the full structural equation model. Both the measurement models and the path models were confirmed, suggesting a good fit of SCCT for Taiwanese college students. The correlations among SCCT constructs were in the expected directions. Implications for professional counseling and research are discussed.
Gender gap in STEM education and career choices: what matters
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 2021
Purpose-The paper innovates on the existing literature by assessing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) tertiary education enrolment and career choice in a small country setting and by extending on Master and Meltzoff (2016) theoretical framework to provide a holistic explanation of the gender disparity through a mix of personal, environmental and behavioural factors. The study first probes into the existence of potential gender disparity in STEM tertiary enrolment in Mauritius. Second, in contrast with existing studies where selective factors are used to measure the gender gap in STEM education, this paper investigates into a combination of personal, environmental and behavioural factors that may influence participation in STEM education and career. Design/methodology/approach-The study uses a survey of 209 undergraduates enroled in the main public university and investigates into the existence of a gender gap in STEM tertiary education enrolment and the reasons behind this disparity. Consistent with the theoretical model, the empirical analysis also investigates into the work environment (which cannot be measured from the survey), via semi-structured interviews of 15 women in STEM professions. Findings-The logit regression results first reveal the existence of a gender disparity in the choice of STEM-related degrees. The probability of a female student to enrol in a STEM degree is lower than that of a male student, after controlling for all the personal, environmental and behavioural factors. The most important set of reasons influencing the student's STEM degree choice are self-efficacy and the student's academic performance in STEM subjects at secondary school level. The findings also demonstrate that young women are relatively more likely to choose STEM degrees than their male counterparts when they are supported by their family, school and teachers. There is further evidence of lower participation of women in STEM professions as well as significant challenges which women in STEM careers face compared to their male colleagues. Originality/value-This study adopts a holistic framework to assess the factors that hinder women's participation in STEM tertiary education and career in Mauritius.
Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2024
There is a widely held belief that there is an increasing gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) worldwide. Women have achieved gender equality with men in certain professions, such as the humanities and social sciences. However, women still lack adequate representation in the highest positions of academia and the professional world in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This paper is grounded in institutional theory to explore the factors that demotivate or hinder women from joining STEM as a profession in universities. The research is based on a qualitative case study of the University of Peshawar. We conducted 20 interviews with female staff members in 13 STEM departments, with 32 female staff out of 183 faculty members. The collected data generated a total of 123 codes. The axial coding procedure generated 38 codes, which were grouped into fourteen distinct categories and four overarching themes of (1) male dominant culture, (2) multiple influences, (3) professional environment, and (4) job opportunities. The study highlights the complex interplay between societal attitudes and gender in STEM fields, emphasising the need for comprehensive strategies to promote gender equality. Addressing these factors and thoroughly analysing women's engagement in STEM departments is crucial.
Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Classes and Females' Career Choices
Females have been discouraged from taking science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes during high school and college, resulting in limited access to high-paying STEM careers. Therefore, these females could miss opportunities for these high-paying careers. The rationale of this research was to quantify the relationship between the number of STEM classes the sampled females took, the number of female role models they had during high school and college, their career choices, and salaries. The theoretical construct was based on Erikson's social developmental theory, which postulates a relationship between earlier life events and later life events, and Acker's masculinity theory, which postulates that females in traditionally male fields may be uneasy performing functions opposite to what they naturally perform. Key questions examined the relationships between STEM classes, role models, career choices, and salaries. The sample was a stratified random sample (n = 48) of female alumnae of 4 universities, born after 1980. Data were collected from a designed online instrument, validated by a pilot. The data were analyzed with a multiple regression and an analysis of variance. The findings revealed a significant relationship between the number of STEM classes, career choices and salary. However, there was no significance found between the numbers of role models, career choices and salary The implication for social change is that by making scholars in the fields of education and management aware about the relationship between the number of STEM classes taken, career choices, and salaries, females can be more encouraged to become interested in STEM courses earlier in life, making it more likely they will choose STEM careers This can be accomplished through scholarly journals, which hopefully will improve perceptions of the STEM abilities of females.
STEM Influence on Career Choice Variables of Middle School Students Based on Gender and Ethnicity
2019
STEM Influence on Career Choice Variables of Middle School Students Based on Gender and Ethnicity by Melyssa D. Ferro MA, Walden University, 2006 BS, Boise State University, 1999 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University November 2019 Abstract Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are growing fields in both global job markets and educational spaces. The problem related to this study was the lack of understanding of how gender and ethnicity might relate to differences in the science self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and task interest of students who have participated in STEM intervention programs at the middle school level. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the extent to which there were differences between the dependent variables of science self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and task interest in U.S. middle school students based on the independent va...