Gender study on the relationships between science interest and future career perspectives

Abstract

Gender disparities in STEM fields have been under extensive study, the focus of which has been on future career aspirations. However, the primary phases in gender differences are still ambiguous when examined from this perspective, possibly due to the fact that most of the studies have targeted samples of upper secondary school or college students. As such, in this study we examined the transient period to lower secondary school; our aim was to discover to what extent relationships between factors of students' science interest and career perspectives differ between male and female. Based on previous studies and analyses, we selected three future career perspective variablesoutcome, personal time, and innovation orientationsand three defining features of interestpersonal value, enjoyment, and cognitive aspect. The sample was conducted in Finland and comprised of 401 grade 7 students aged 13, using a multi-group structural equation modelling. This study found that during the transient period there were clear gender differences regarding interest and preferences of science subjects, as well as their relationship towards future career perspectives. To be specific, biology was preferred by females, and males preferred physics and chemistry. With regard to future career perspectives, female students' science interest was positively correlated with personal time-and innovation-oriented career perspectives; an outcome-oriented career expectation was negatively related to their interest. Interpretation and implication that might possibly arise from the results were also discussed.

Measuring attitudes towards biology major and non-major: Effect of students’ gender, group composition, and learning environment

“…Our findings are consistent with Baram-Tsabari & Yarden's (2008) and Kang et al's (2018), and Hagay et al's (2012) research. Especially in the Middle Eastern countries, social, cultural, religious, and national affiliations and gender have been the influential factors affecting students' attitudes towards biology [24,108,109]. Koballa and Glynn (2007), based on social cognitive theory, posit that student motivation has an attitudinal dimension related to their beliefs about career and grade motivation.…”

Career aspiration and related contextual variables

“…For example, females are more likely than males to aspire to and to attain the highest status occupations, even those that are male-dominated (Adragna, 2009;Feliciano & Rumbaut, 2005). Females preferred subjects such biology, and males favoured physics and chemistry (Kang, Hense, Scheersoi, & Keinonen, 2019). Males preferred realistic careers more than females while social careers are preferred by females more than males (Migunde, Agak, & Odiwuor, 2012).…”

Investigating Relationships Between Learning Environment Perceptions, Motivation and Self-Regulation for Female Science Students in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

“…In this study, to help further understand the participation of female students in science, we included self-regulation as an important outcome of a positive learning environment. Given the global importance of science learning and the current decline in students entering scientific fields (Kang, Hense, Scheersoi & Keinonen, 2018;Martin, Durksen, Williamson, Kiss and Ginns 2014), particularly girls (Makarova, Aeschlimann, & Herzog, 2019), investigating learning environment factors in science lessons that could influence motivation and self-regulation of female students in a Middle Eastern context was perceived as warranted. Therefore, this study examines the influence of students' perceptions of their psychosocial learning environment on three specific motivation constructs within a science educational setting, as well as investigating the impact of students' motivation on their self-regulation.…”