The High School Environment and the Gender Gap in Science and Engineering

Area of Science:

• Sociology of Education
• Gender Studies
• STEM Education

Background:

• Despite educational gains, women remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors.
• Existing research often overlooks the influence of the secondary school environment on students' STEM career aspirations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how high school context shapes students' decisions to pursue STEM fields.
• To identify specific school characteristics that impact the gender gap in STEM major selection.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Education Longitudinal Study.
• Analyzed variations in high school effectiveness in attracting students to STEM fields.
• Estimated the impact of STEM curriculum and extracurricular gender segregation on STEM major intentions.

Main Results:

• Significant variations exist among high schools in their ability to attract students to STEM fields.
• Successful schools reduced the gender gap in STEM field attraction by 25% or more.
• High school STEM curriculum and gender-balanced extracurricular activities substantially reduced the gender gap in STEM major plans.

Conclusions:

• The high school environment plays a critical role in shaping gender differences in STEM field orientation.
• Specific school characteristics, such as STEM curriculum and extracurricular activity integration, offer potential policy interventions.
• Focusing on the high school context is crucial for understanding and addressing the gender gap in STEM fields.