Quantifying the Gender Gap in Science Interests

Abstract

Nearly 5,000 self-generated science-related K-12 students' questions, classified into seven science subjects, were used to quantitatively measure the gender gap in science interests and its change with age. In this data set, a difference between boys' and girls' science interests did not exist during early childhood, but increased over 20-fold by the end of high school. Furthermore, the gap widened in a stereotypical manner, with girls being increasingly interested in biology and boys more interested in physics and technology. This method could be applied for identifying and comparing the gender gap in science interests between different populations based on different data sources.

Factors Shaping Qatari Students’ Career Expectations in STEM, Business or Public Sector Fields

“…Age of the child has also been found to matter, with many studies finding children tend to lose interest in STEM fields as they grow older (Baram-Tsabari & Yarden, 2011;George, 2006). Numerous researchers have examined the flow of individuals out of the STEM pipeline with dropouts occurring as the child progresses through primary, secondary, and post-secondary grades (Chen, 2013;Maltese & Tai, 2011;Rask, 2010).…”

The Status of Science and Technology Relative to Other School Subjects. Results of a Study Conducted on Primary and Secondary School Students in Quebec

“…3) Differences are often found between girls and boys: While some studies show no significant differences according to gender (Krstovic, Brown, Chacko, & Trinh, 2008;Wang & Berlin, 2010;Zeyer & Wolf, 2010), a number of others show that girls exhibit less interest in S&T studies and in certain careers related to this field (e.g., Adesoji & Raimi, 2004;Badri, Al Mazroui, Al Rashedi, & Yang, 2016;Caleon & Subramaniam, 2008;Barmb et al, 2008;Desy, Peterson, & Brockman, 2011;van Griethuijsen, van Eijck, Haste, den Brok, Skinner, Mansour, BouJaoude, 2015). Other studies show that girls and boys express differing levels of interest in different subject areas: girls generally exhibit a stronger preference for life sciences than boys, while the opposite is observed for physics, chemistry, and technology (e.g., Baram-Tsabari & Yarden, 2011;Buccheri, Gurber, & Bruhwiler, 2011;Krapp & Prenzel, 2011). …”

Volume 13 Issue 10 Complete Issue

“…Age of the child has also been found to matter, with many studies finding children tend to lose interest in STEM fields as they grow older (Baram-Tsabari & Yarden, 2011;George, 2006). Numerous researchers have examined the flow of individuals out of the STEM pipeline with dropouts occurring as the child progresses through primary, secondary, and post-secondary grades (Chen, 2013;Maltese & Tai, 2011;Rask, 2010).…”