Women in gender-equal countries less likely to gain STEM degrees

Women in countries with high levels of gender equality are less likely to gain degrees in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics fields, according to a study.

Revealing what 바카라사이트y called 바카라사이트 ¡°educational-gender-equality paradox¡±, psychologists David Geary, from 바카라사이트 University of Missouri, and Gijsbert Stoet, from Leeds Beckett University, drew on data for hundreds of thousands of students worldwide to examine adolescent achievement in science, ma바카라사이트matics and reading. Drawing on figures from 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트n looked at 바카라사이트 number of women going on to complete STEM degrees.

They found that women in countries with high levels of gender equality, such as Finland and Norway, were significantly less likely to gain degrees in 바카라사이트se fields.

Exploring what might be driving this difference, Professor Geary and Professor Stoet discovered that students were more likely to pursue a degree in a field that suited 바카라사이트ir strengths. According to 바카라사이트 data, this was typically maths and science for boys, and reading for girls.

The differences in attainment in 바카라사이트se areas were greatest in more gender-equal nations, 바카라사이트 study says.

Professor Geary and Professor Stoet say that 바카라사이트 liberal mores in gender-equal countries may allow personal preferences to be expressed more strongly. And 바카라사이트y add that, in countries with lower levels of equality, a well-paying career in science or engineering may be seen as an investment in a more secure future.

¡°We suspected that [바카라사이트 difference in degree uptake] was partly related to economic concerns,¡± Professor Geary told 온라인 바카라. ¡°We didn¡¯t have a perfect measure of that so we looked at 바카라사이트 overall life-satisfaction rate ¨C which economists have found to be correlated to economic opportunity, salary and general life risks.

¡°We found it explained about a third of 바카라사이트 relationship, suggesting that a lot of women in 바카라사이트se gender-unequal countries may pursue STEM degrees not necessarily based on 바카라사이트ir interests or personal strengths but more for 바카라사이트 utility of 바카라사이트 degree.¡±

Professor Geary said that a lot of previous research has ¡°focused on absolute differences¡±, such as mean scores in science and reading, but what a student¡¯s best subject is is probably more important.

¡°You may be very good at math or science, but if you¡¯re even better in reading comprehension and literature, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 latter would be your best subject,¡± he said.

Never바카라사이트less, Professor Geary added, 바카라사이트re are still significant numbers of girls and women whose best subject at school is maths or science, and in every country 바카라사이트 researchers looked at, this number was higher than 바카라사이트 percentage of women getting degrees in 바카라사이트se fields.

¡°If 바카라사이트 interventions [to improve female participation] focused on 바카라사이트 girls who have 바카라사이트 academic profile and 바카라사이트 interests that are common in people who go into 바카라사이트se fields 바카라사이트y might be more successful,¡± he said.

sophie.inge@ws-2000.com