scholarly journals What Lies beneath Sustainable Education? Predicting and Tackling Gender Differences in STEM Academic Success

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1671
Author(s):  
Maura A. E. Pilotti
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Gender Roles ◽  
Gender Bias ◽  
Interior Design ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
High School Gpa ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles

In many societies across the globe, females are still underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM fields), although they are reported to have higher grades in high school and college than males. The present study was guided by the assumption that the sustainability of higher education critically rests on the academic success of both male and female students under conditions of equitable educational options, practices, and contents. It first assessed the persistence of familiar patterns of gender bias (e.g., do competencies at enrollment, serving as academic precursors, and academic performance favor females?) in college students of a society in transition from a gender-segregated workforce with marked gender inequalities to one whose aims at integrating into the global economy demand that women pursue once forbidden careers thought to be the exclusive domain of men. It then examined how simple indices of academic readiness, as well as preferences for fields fitting traditional gender roles, could predict attainment of key competencies and motivation to graduate (as measured by the average number of credits completed per year) in college. As expected, females had a higher high school GPA. Once in college, they were underrepresented in a major that fitted traditional gender roles (interior design) and over-represented in one that did not fit (business). Female students’ performance and motivation to graduate did not differ between the male-suited major of business and the female-suited major of interior design. Male students’ performance and motivation to graduate were higher in engineering than in business, albeit both majors were gender-role consistent. Although high school GPA and English proficiency scores predicted performance and motivation for all, preference for engineering over business also predicted males’ performance and motivation. These findings offered a more complex picture of patterns of gender bias, thereby inspiring the implementation of targeted educational interventions to improve females’ motivation for and enrollment in STEM fields, nowadays increasingly available to them, as well as to enhance males’ academic success in non-STEM fields such as business.

scholarly journals Gender achievement gaps: the role of social costs to trying hard in high school

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1407-1427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Workman ◽  
Anke Heyder
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Social Costs ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Academic Effort ◽  
Social Incentives ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Gender Achievement

AbstractIn American high schools female students put greater effort into school and outperform boys on indicators of academic success. Using data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, we found female students’ greater academic effort and achievement was partly explained by different social incentives to trying hard in school experienced by male and female students. Males were 1.75 times as likely to report they would be unpopular for trying hard in school and 1.50 times as likely to report they would be made fun of for trying hard in school. Social costs to trying hard in school were directly associated with less rigorous mathematics course-taking and indirectly associated with lower GPA in STEM courses through lower academic effort.

The Influence of Bullying Behaviours on Sense of School Connectedness, Motivation and Self-Esteem

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason L. Skues ◽  
Everarda G. Cunningham ◽  
Trilochan Pokharel
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
School Connectedness ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Male Students ◽  
School Based ◽  
Being Bullied ◽  
Males And Females

AbstractThe aim of the current study was to examine how bullying by peers relates to self-esteem, school connectedness and motivation for academic success in an Australian high school. Questionnaires were completed by 975 students across years 7 to 12. As predicted, male students were subjected to more direct forms of bullying than female students. However, contrary to expectations, there were no significant differences between males and females in their reported experience of indirect forms of bullying. Also, students in the lower year levels of high school reported being bullied more frequently than students in high year levels. Findings supported predictions that students who were bullied by their peers at school tended to report having lower levels of self-esteem, feeling less connected to their peers, teachers and school, and being less motivated to perform well at school. These results may have implications for school-based intervention programs that are designed to reduce bullying behaviours.

scholarly journals Gender-biased public perception of STEM fields, focusing on the influence of egalitarian attitudes toward gender roles

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (01) ◽  
pp. A08
Author(s):  
Yuko Ikkatai ◽  
Azusa Minamizaki ◽  
Kei Kano ◽  
Atsushi Inoue ◽  
Euan McKay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Gender Bias ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
The Public ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Academic Fields ◽  
Egalitarian Attitudes

Many studies have examined the impression that the general public has of science and how this can prevent girls from choosing science fields. Using an online questionnaire, we investigated whether the public perception of several academic fields was gender-biased in Japan. First, we found the gender-bias gap in public perceptions was largest in nursing and mechanical engineering. Second, people who have a low level of egalitarian attitudes toward gender roles perceived that nursing was suitable for women. Third, people who have a low level of egalitarian attitudes perceived that many STEM fields are suitable for men. This suggests that gender-biased perceptions toward academic fields can still be found in Japan.

scholarly journals Shifting gender perceptions of female Nepalese students in Brisbane, Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-180
Author(s):  
Narayan Ghimire
Keyword(s):  
Gender Roles ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
Gender Perceptions ◽  
Gender And Migration ◽  
Small Cohort ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Migration

AbstractThis article explores the changes in how Nepalese female students living in Brisbane, Australia, experience shifting expectations and perceptions of gender roles. It reviews a range of literature from migration studies, geography and humanities to investigate the interrelation between gender and migration, and the ways in which transforming gender relations among the Nepalese migrants in Australia might eventuate. Specifically, the article looks at how traditional gender roles are continued or discontinued by disclosing the lived experiences of a small cohort of Nepalese female students. A summary of qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations are used to highlight how their changing perspectives on traditional gender relations result from living in the changed socio-cultural settings of the host country, and the inherent challenges of implementing the changes in conventional interpretations of gender-based roles after returning to their home country.

scholarly journals Students Taking Numerous Honours Courses in High School Have Higher Information Literacy Levels

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Dominique Daniel
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Surprising Result ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
School Factors ◽  
High School Gpa ◽  
Admission Status ◽  
The Impact

A Review of: Fabbi, J. L. (2015). Fortifying the pipeline: A quantitative exploration of high school factors impacting the information literacy of first-year college students. College & Research Libraries, 76(1), 31-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.5860/crl.76.1.31 Abstract Objective – To assess the impact of students’ high school performances on the development of their information literacy (IL) competency. Design – Statistical analysis of test performance. Setting – A large public university in the United States of America. Subjects – 93 first-time college freshmen. Of these, 46% had been admitted on a probationary status due to GPA under the required 3.0 (“alternate admits”), and 61% had not declared a major (“exploring majors”). 39% identified as Caucasian, 25% as Hispanic, 22% as African American, and 15% as Asian. 84% declared that their best language was English only. Methods – Participants were self-selected freshmen who enrolled into programs offered by the university’s Academic Success Center. They took the iSkills test, an online evaluation of information literacy competencies developed by the Educational Testing Service, and provided background data on their high school experience. Using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, the researcher evaluated predictors of iSkills score variance among a range of high school experiences: core high school GPA, number of honours classes taken in high school, and number of research projects or assignments in high school. The analysis controlled for gender, best language, race, and admission status as either alternate admit or exploring major. Main Results – Participants’ mean iSkills scores was below the minimum passing score for the test. There was a significant positive correlation between iSkills scores and exploring major status, core high school GPA, and having taken 5 to 12 honours courses. There was a negative correlation between iSkills scores and language other than English, Asian race, alternate admission status, and having had 1 to 4 honours courses. Among the background variables, the most significant predictor of a student’s iSkills score was his or her best language, followed by race. After controlling for these variables, the most important factors were students’ high school GPAs and the number of honors courses taken. Conclusion – The researcher discovered that the number of honours courses taken in high school is a strong predictor of information literacy competency as measured by the iSkills test. This remains true when controlling for race and other background factors. This finding is consistent with the assumption that high school teachers of honours courses believe their students to be capable of learning higher-order skills and therefore adopt a constructivist pedagogy, and that such pedagogy promotes the development of information literacy skills. Yet the number of high school research projects or assignments could not be statistically correlated to information literacy competency. In subsequent focus groups, students who had taken fewer honours courses expressed test anxiety, while students who had taken numerous honours courses expressed their determination to get the correct answer. This may inform one surprising result of the study: that students who took 13 or more honours courses in high school did not score significantly better on the iSkills test than those who took 5 to 12 courses.

scholarly journals Social capital in Spain: Are there gender inequalities?

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Celia Muñoz-Goy
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Gender Roles ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
The Other ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
Gender Groups

Social capital is an asset for individuals because it grants access to important resources embedded in their social networks. But social capital is not evenly distributed among different groups. Gender groups are analysed in this paper in order to examine if there are differences in diverse indicators of social capital and whether these possible differences remain when control variables are considered. The data used in this paper come from a representative sample of 3,400 people in Spain. The main results show gender differences in the access, mobilisation and type of social networks, as well as in the extent and type of social participation. However, these differences are mostly reduced for the groups in more advantageous social positions, which have the possibility to contact with greater and more varied groups, or which have been educated in less traditional gender roles. In general, gender inequalities in social capital remain for the other groups.

scholarly journals Investigating Predictors of Academic Success in a Foundational Business Mathematics Course

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke D'Aloisio
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Mathematics Anxiety ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
The United States ◽  
High School Gpa ◽  
Instructor Effectiveness ◽  
Placement Exam ◽  
Number Of Classes ◽  
Mathematics Course

<p>Research reveals that the majority of students are unprepared in making the transition from high school to college mathematics. Many students choose majors outside of STEM and business fields to pursue degrees with less rigorous mathematics requirements. According to recent findings, it is likely that over 25% of all freshmen will fail their first mathematics course. Few studies examine student success in business mathematics courses, and business is currently the most popular major in the United States. Thus, the purpose of this research was to examine what factors predict success in a foundational business mathematics course (BUS 111) at a large Northeastern university. </p> <p>Eight independent variables were examined: gender, high school GPA, mathematics SAT score, score on the university’s placement exam, student attitudes using the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI), anxiety using the Mathematics Anxiety Scale (MAS), number of hours per week spent on mathematics, and number of classes missed. The dependent variable was BUS 111 final average. All students (<em>n</em> = 247) enrolled in BUS 111 were invited to participate during the Fall 2015. Upon completion of pre- and post-surveys, multiple regression was used to determine which variables were significant predictors. Statistical findings revealed that placement score, high school GPA, a combination of ATMI/MAS scores, and number of classes missed were the best predictors of BUS 111 average overall (R<sup>2</sup> = 44.2%, <em>p</em> = 0.000). Different models are presented for comparison and examination. Significant correlations found between perceived instructor effectiveness and student attitudes, anxiety, and course grades are also presented. Overall, combinations of non-affective and affective measures serve as the best predictors of success in business mathematics.</p>

Teachers of tomorrow: How gender framings of the teaching profession affect students' intention to teach

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Daniela Renger ◽  
Sophus Renger ◽  
Michaela M. Köller ◽  
Jens Möller
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Gender Bias ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Gender Ratio ◽  
School Students ◽  
Female Teachers

Abstract. The teaching profession faces a general shortage of teachers in most countries, but a lack of male teachers is particularly prevalent. Past research has demonstrated that students' career choices depend in part on a job's assumed gender fit, i.e. whether a profession is perceived as appropriate for one's own gender. This process may be particularly relevant for adolescent boys and clashes with the perception of the teaching profession as a predominantly feminine profession. Therefore, perceived gender fit of the teaching profession was expected to affect high school students' intention to teach, especially for male students. In the present experimental research, we investigated whether a variation of the (perceived) gender fit of the teaching profession has an impact on students' immediate intention to become a teacher. In two experiments ( N = 126 and N = 342), we expected and found that a gender fit framing, which involved either simple reflection on male or female teachers, or on manipulated information about the gender ratio within the teaching profession, increased the intention of male students' to become teachers compared to non-gender fit or neutral framing. In contrast, female students were not affected by the gender fit manipulations. The implications for gender-bias free recruitment of future teachers are discussed.

The Austin High School Girls’ Band of Chicago, Illinois: 1925–1956

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-52
Author(s):  
Phillip M. Hash
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Gender Roles ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
High School Girls ◽  
History Of ◽  
Steep Decline ◽  
School Girls ◽  
Military Basis

The purpose of this study was to examine the history of the Austin High School (AHS) Girls’ Band (AHSGB) of Chicago, Illinois, which existed from 1925 to 1956. This research focused on the band’s (a) organization and leadership, (b) activities within the school and community, (c) relationship to the AHS Boys Band, and (d) efforts to challenge and support traditional gender roles of the early and mid-twentieth century. I also considered how the history of this group might provide historical context to lingering attitudes regarding female band musicians and conductors today. H. E. Nutt organized the AHSGB in fall 1925 at the request of female students and school administration. The ensemble operated similarly to the boys’ band in that it functioned on a military basis, performed as both a concert and marching unit, and competed among the boys at city band and solo contests. The AHSGB gradually moved away from the all-military approach beginning in the early 1940s and eventually assumed a more feminine image that aligned with society’s efforts to restore traditional gender roles following World War II. The AHSGB combined with the boys in the fall of 1956, which resulted in a steep decline in female participation.

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