– Perceptions of the social relevance of science positively and significantly predict female, but not male, students’ intentions to major in STEM (vs. non-STEM fields).
– Perceptions of relevance positively predict female students’ intentions to major in the biological
sciences, the physical sciences, and engineering, while male students’ intentions are not similarly
impacted. By contrast, positive perceptions of the relevance of science predict a modest increase in
interest in computer science for both boys and girls.
– Perceptions of social relevance are an important predictor of adolescent girls’ intentions to enter STEM postsecondary fields where women are currently well-represented (the biological sciences, and to a lesser extent, the physical sciences) as well as in engineering, a field that remains highly male-dominated.
– A majority of ninth-grade girls in their sample (54%, compared with 32% of boys) have already expressed a disinterest in pursuing any STEM major. Moreover, the gendered patterns regarding future intentions in specific STEM fields largely mirror current patterns of gender representation in postsecondary education at the national level as well as within the labor force.
– The authors did not find racial/ethnic differences in how social relevance predicted students’ STEM intentions.
2017 - Perceptions of the Social Relevance of Science: Exploring the Implications for Gendered Patterns in Expectations of Majoring in STEM Fields
Researchers: Catherine Riegle-CrumbSarah Blanchard Kyte
University Affiliation: Rutgers University; The University of Texas at Austin
Email: sfblanchard@utexas.edu
Research Question:
This study examines the potentially gendered role of perceptions of social relevance in ninth graders' expectations to major in STEM. Further, it examines these dynamics with respect to expectations to major in any STEM field as well as expectations to major in specific STEM fields.
Published: Yes
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Social Sciences
Journal Entry: Vol. 6, Pp. 1-17
Year: 2017
Findings:
Data Description:
Data for this study come from the Broadening Science in School Study (BSSS) set within a large, diverse school district in one of the biggest cities in the Southwest. The vast majority of students in the
district qualify for free or reduced price lunch (80%) and the student body is primarily Hispanic (62%) with smaller percentages of Black (25%) and White (8%) students. The analytic sample for this study is comprised of a cohort of students who were 8th graders in the Fall of the 2012 academic year, and who then transitioned to high school as 9th graders the following Fall (2013). The final analytic sample includes 935 students attending 13 high schools.
Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:Gender and STEM
Archives: K-16 STEM Abstracts