Ma, Yingyi
Researchers: Yingyi Ma
University Affiliation: Syracuse University
Email: yma03@syr.edu
Research Question:
This article focuses on specific aspects of high school achievement, attitudes, and course-taking behaviors to understand gender differences in attaining STEM degrees, as well as the pathways of STEM degree attainment.
Published: Yes
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Social Science Quarterly
Journal Entry: Vol. 92, No. 5, Pp. 1169-1190
Year: 2011
Findings:
- Men are more likely than women to follow the complete persistence pathway to attain STEM degrees, but women are as persistent as men once they expect a major in STEM as high school seniors.
- However, men are close to three times as likely as women to expect a college major in STEM during high school.
- High school achievement, attitudes, and course taking are related to the subfields attainment, as well as the pathways of the STEM degree attainment.
- Among women who received a bachelor’s degree in STEM, most switched into the fields during college, after indicating interest or claiming majors in non-STEM fields.
- The fact that women pick up their interest in STEM fields during college might allude to the relatively more encouraging and supportive environment that college provides for women to pursue non-traditional fields, STEM included.
- Taken together, the results are more aligned with revolving door theory and support the contextual variability in the salience of gender to understand gender differences in attaining STEM fields.