TY - JOUR

T1 - Gender, self-efficacy and attrition from STEM programmes

T2 - evidence from Danish survey and registry data

AU - Pedersen, Jens Vognstoft

AU - Nielsen, Mathias Wullum

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Society for Research into Higher Education.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - The persistent gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is often attributed to differences in students’ confidence in their own academic abilities (i.e. self-efficacy). Yet, the role of self-efficacy in mediating gender differences in STEM attrition is unclear. To address this issue, we analyse administrative register data and representative survey responses from two cohorts of students (N = 14,427) who entered higher education programmes in 2017 and 2019. In linear models that adjust for high-school performance, parents’ education level and other relevant background variables, we find that women have lower average self-efficacy levels than men before entering higher education. This gender gap is not specific to STEM fields but also exists in the humanities and social sciences. Although women have higher dropout rates than men in some, but not all STEM areas (most notably in mathematics and physics), self-efficacy differences do not explain this gap, suggesting that factors beyond prior achievements, sociodemographic background and confidence in one’s own abilities perpetuate gender disparities in STEM attrition.

AB - The persistent gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is often attributed to differences in students’ confidence in their own academic abilities (i.e. self-efficacy). Yet, the role of self-efficacy in mediating gender differences in STEM attrition is unclear. To address this issue, we analyse administrative register data and representative survey responses from two cohorts of students (N = 14,427) who entered higher education programmes in 2017 and 2019. In linear models that adjust for high-school performance, parents’ education level and other relevant background variables, we find that women have lower average self-efficacy levels than men before entering higher education. This gender gap is not specific to STEM fields but also exists in the humanities and social sciences. Although women have higher dropout rates than men in some, but not all STEM areas (most notably in mathematics and physics), self-efficacy differences do not explain this gap, suggesting that factors beyond prior achievements, sociodemographic background and confidence in one’s own abilities perpetuate gender disparities in STEM attrition.

KW - dropout in STEM

KW - gender

KW - Higher education

KW - mediation analysis

KW - self-efficacy

KW - Higher education

KW - gender

KW - dropout in STEM

KW - self-efficacy

KW - mediation analysis

U2 - 10.1080/03075079.2023.2220702

DO - 10.1080/03075079.2023.2220702

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85161542656

VL - 49

SP - 47

EP - 61

JO - Studies in Higher Education

JF - Studies in Higher Education

SN - 0307-5079

IS - 1

ER -