Zitatform

Kugler, Adriana D., Catherine H. Tinsley & Olga Ukhaneva (2021): Choice of majors: Are women really different from men? In: Economics of Education Review, Jg. 81. DOI:10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102079

Abstract

"The gender wage gap persists in the workplace in part because women major in fields that lead them into lower-paid occupations than fields associated with majors men choose. An open question is why women are more likely than men to switch towards majors that lead to lower-paying careers. Drawing on research suggesting that women are affected more by negative feedback than men, we use unique administrative data from a large private university on the East Coast from 2008 to 2016 to test whether women are more likely than men to switch majors in response to low grades in major-related classes. We also test whether the prevalence of men in a major or a major's reputation for being stereotypically male-oriented induces women to switch out of that major more readily than men. We control for other factors that may affect a student's final major, including high school performance, gender composition of faculty and peers, and economic returns of majors. The results show that overall women and men are equally likely to change their majors in response to poor grades in major-related courses. We also find no evidence that women in male-dominated majors are more likely than men to switch out, but we find that men with very low grades in female-dominated majors are more likely to switch out of these majors than women. In addition, we find that women are more likely to switch out of majors that are both male-dominated and STEM in response to poor performance compared to men. Thus, our results suggest that only when women students experience multiple signals suggesting their lack of fit in a field (i.e., low grades combined with gender peer composition, and external stereotyping signals) they tend to switch out of the major more often than male students. We find that men exhibit this tendency in response to even fewer overlapping signals about misfit than women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2021 Elsevier) ((en))

Zitatform

Ma, Yingyi & Shiyang Xiao (2021): Math and Science Identity Change and Paths into and out of STEM: Gender and Racial Disparities. In: Socius, Jg. 7, S. 1-15. DOI:10.1177/23780231211001978

Abstract

"Researchers emphasize the role of math and science identities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. However, little is known about whether these identities might evolve during college; likewise it is not known how changes in math and science identities are associated with switching majors between STEM and non-STEM fields. This study addresses these questions. With data from the Pathways through College Study, this study revealed that science identity changes matter more than math identity changes in their association with the decision to switch majors. Most notably, underrepresented racial minority women are the most vulnerable in terms of decreasing science identity and the associated probabilities of leaking out of STEM. The authors also find evidence that Asian students are the least sensitive to their science identity drop. These findings have significant policy implications with regard to STEM choice and attainment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Megalokonomou, Rigissa, Marian Vidal-Fernandez & Duygu Yengin (2021): Underrepresentation of Women in Undergraduate Economics Degrees in Europe: A Comparison with STEM and Business. (IZA policy paper 175), Bonn, 14 S.

Abstract

"In the last decade, the proportion and academic performance of women who pursue university degrees has increased relative to men in a range of developing countries (OECD, 2015). Nonetheless, the percentage of undergraduate economics degrees awarded to women has remained between 30% and 35% during 2001-2018 in the U.S. (Siegfried, 2019). In a recent work by Lundberg and Stearns (2019), they show that the gender gap worsens as women economists progress in their professional careers in the U.S., where they end up representing only 10% of university professors. European countries seem to have less of a "leaky pipeline," where the same figure sits at 22% (Auriol, Friebel, and Wilhelm, 2020). To put this figure into perspective, our paper describes the cross-country underrepresentation of women graduating in economics degrees in Europe relative to their country-specific women/men university graduation rates. Second, we compare the underrepresentation of women in economics to its closest alternative namely business, as well as its gender underrepresented counterpart, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Finally, we lean on recent evidence to suggest policies to increase the relative share of women pursuing undergraduate economics degrees in Europe with a strong focus on policies aimed at high schools. Overall, we find that, over the period 2013-2018, the underrepresentation of women in economics graduates has worsened in Europe and that on average two of every five students are women. While the gender representation of university graduates in STEM is worse than in economics, it has experienced a mild increase over the period of study. Unlike Economics, its closest alternative, business, has a slight women overrepresentation, with 1.1 women graduating for every man." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Speer, Jamin D. (2021): Bye Bye Ms. American Sci: Women and the Leaky STEM Pipeline. (IZA discussion paper 14676), Bonn, 42 S.

Abstract

"More than two-thirds of STEM jobs are held by men. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the STEM pipeline from high school to mid-career in the United States, decomposing the gender gap in STEM into six stages. By far the most important stages are the initial college major choice and the college-to-career transition. Men are far more likely than women to start in a STEM major, especially among those who are the most prepared for STEM upon entry. This alone accounts for 57% of the total gender gap in STEM careers. After college, male STEM graduates are far more likely to be found in a STEM job, accounting for 44% of the overall gap. Women who start in STEM majors are also less likely to graduate in STEM (accounting for 16%), while the gap in pre-college STEM-readiness is a small factor (8%). Women attend college at much higher rates than men, which works to reduce the final gender gap in STEM (-14%). The pipeline to STEM jobs is complex, and focusing only on the college experience or only on the labor market misses a large part of the overall story of women in STEM." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

VanHeuvelen, Tom & Natasha Quadlin (2021): Gender Inequality in STEM Employment and Earnings at Career Entry: Evidence from Millennial Birth Cohorts. In: Socius, Jg. 7, S. 1-15. DOI:10.1177/23780231211064392

Abstract

"Although science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors remain male dominated, women’s greater enrollment in STEM is one of the greatest transformations to occur in U.S. higher education in the past half century. But to what extent have women’s gains in STEM enrollment translated to greater parity in labor market outcomes? Although the challenges women face in STEM have been well documented, questions about the influence of gender for STEM employment and earnings differences remain. In the present research, the authors use data from recent birth cohorts in the American Community Survey between 2009 and 2018 (starting with the first year college majors were available in the survey) and a reweighting technique from labor economics to track the evolution of gender inequalities in STEM employment and earnings inequality among STEM work at the onset of labor market entry. Even among a sample expected to produce highly conservative gender differences, sizable gender inequalities in STEM employment are observed. The authors show that despite women’s gains in STEM education among recent cohorts, women with STEM degrees face employment prospects in STEM work that more closely resemble those of men without STEM degrees than men with STEM degrees. Moreover, although modest gender earnings gaps eventually emerge for those without STEM degrees, large gaps occur at the outset of employment for STEM workers. Thus, although STEM education provides important opportunities for women’s earning potential, it may be less effective in itself to address significant gender inequalities among STEM employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © SAGE) ((en))

Zitatform

Anger, Christina, Enno Kohlisch, Oliver Koppel & Axel Plünnecke (2020): MINT-Herbstreport 2020. MINT-Engpässe und Corona-Pandemie: kurzfristige Effekte und langfristige Herausforderungen : Gutachten für BDA, BDI, MINT Zukunft schaffen und Gesamtmetall. Köln, 137 S.

Abstract

"Seit März gab es durch das Corona-Virus und die Maßnahmen gegen dessen Ausbreitung einen großen konjunkturellen Einbruch. Dieser betraf neben vielen Dienstleistungsbereichen auch sehr stark die international vernetzte Industrie. Die Nachfrage nach Personen mit einer MINT-Ausbildung hat sich daher deutlich verringert. So ist die MINT-Lücke entgegen der typischen saisonalen Erhöhung von 193.500 im Februar 2020 auf 108.700 im Oktober 2020 deutlich gesunken. Im Oktober 2019 betrug die Lücke noch 263.000 und somit muss im Jahresvergleich ein Rückgang von 58,7 Prozent verzeichnet werden. Die Lücken in den Elektro- und Energieberufen mit 44.400, den Bau-Berufen mit 27.100 und den IT-Berufen mit 26.000 bleiben auf einem hohen Niveau." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Bläsing, Lisa Marie & Claude Draude (2020): Geschlechterforschungen zwischen Reflexion und Reproduktion bestehender Bilder von Informatik. In: Zeitschrift für Soziologie der Erziehung und Sozialisation, Jg. 40, H. 3, S. 276-295.

Abstract

"Seit Jahrzenten wird die geschlechtliche Verteilung von Studierenden in MINT bzw. der Informatik aus unterschiedlichen Perspektiven in den Blick genommen. Aus Sicht geschlechtertheoretischer Forschungen werden dafür unter anderem geschlechtliche Codierungen der Fächer gesehen, in denen sich alltägliches Geschlechterwissen und strukturelle Ungleichheiten manifestieren. In Bildern und Annahmen, die Schüler*innen und Studierende über die jeweiligen Fächer haben, werden diese vergeschlechtlichten Codierungen sichtbar. Der Beitrag fasst Ergebnisse ausgewählter Literatur zu Bildern von Informatik zusammen. Sie zeigen, wie die Befragten Informatik als männliches, weißes und westliches Fach konstuieren, welches Zugangs- und Aufstiegsmöglichkeiten mindestens einschränkt und "das Andere", also beispielsweise Frauen/Weiblichkeit, alles nicht-westliche, nicht-weiße - bzw. was diesen Begriffen zugeschrieben wird - abwertet. Beiträge zu Informatikbildern laufen jedoch Gefahr, bestehende Bilder zu reproduzieren. Deshalb werden in der untersuchten Literatur Leerstellen und Perspektiven aufgezeigt, die zu einer intersektionalen, reflektierten Forschung über Informatik(bilder) beitragen können." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Elliott, Catherine, Catherine Mavriplis & Hanan Anis (2020): An entrepreneurship education and peer mentoring program for women in STEM. Mentors’ experiences and perceptions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intent. In: International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Jg. 16, H. 1, S. 43-67. DOI:10.1007/s11365-019-00624-2

Abstract

"Women are underrepresented in STEM and in entrepreneurship but are rare in STEM entrepreneurship. A gender-sensitive entrepreneurship education and peer mentoring program for women engineering and computer science students was developed to provide classroom instruction, experiential learning, and support to a small group of students. This paper reports on the experiences of student peer mentors in the program, in terms of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and entrepreneurial intent (EI). Qualitative methods were adopted for this study. Student mentors were interviewed about their experiences and reported increased perceptions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, a greater awareness of diversity and gender issues, and a changed perspective on problem solving and life in general. Student mentors reported a distinct interest in becoming an entrepreneur at “some time” in their lives, although not necessarily immediately upon graduation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Hägglund, Anna Erika & Markus Lörz (2020): Warum wählen Männer und Frauen unterschiedliche Studienfächer? In: Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Jg. 49, H. 1, S. 66-86. DOI:10.1515/zfsoz-2020-0005

Abstract

"Trotz der seit mehreren Jahrzehnten bestehenden geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschiede in der Studienfachwahl, ist es der bisherigen Forschung nur zum Teil gelungen, die zugrundeliegenden Ursachen empirisch herauszuarbeiten und die geschlechtsspezifische Studienfachwahl vollständig zu erklären. Der vorliegende Beitrag geht daher aus verschiedenen interdisziplinären Blickwinkeln der Frage nach, warum Männer und Frauen unterschiedliche Studienfächer wählen und betrachtet hierbei fünf Fächergruppen. Die Ergebnisse der multinominalen logistischen Regressions- und Dekompositionsanalysen zeigen, dass die geschlechtsspezifischen Unterschiede hauptsächlich aus vorgelagerten Bildungsentscheidungen und den damit zusammenhängenden Interessen- und Leistungsprofilen resultieren. Die kulturelle Zuschreibung von geschlechterkonformen Verhaltensweisen zeigt sich hierbei nicht in antizipierten Diskriminierungsprozessen, sondern in einer geschlechtsspezifischen Wahrnehmung der eigenen Fähigkeiten und der Entwicklung unterschiedlicher Berufsinteressen. Die Geschlechterunterschiede in den verschiedenen Fächergruppen sind jedoch teilweise auf unterschiedliche Ursachen zurückzuführen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)

Zitatform

Jacob, Marita, Cristina Iannelli, Adriana Duta & Emer Smyth (2020): Secondary school subjects and gendered STEM enrollment in higher education in Germany, Ireland, and Scotland. In: International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Jg. 61, H. 1, S. 59-78. DOI:10.1177/0020715220913043

Abstract

"This article examines the extent to which science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject choice in upper secondary education explains gender differences in STEM enrollment in higher education. We adopt a cross-country approach using Germany, Ireland, and Scotland as three case studies. These countries differ in terms of both the degree of subject choice offered in upper secondary education and the relevance for higher education admission of having studied specific school subjects. Using datasets of young people from all three countries, our results indicate a stronger mediation of school subjects for Scotland than in Germany and Ireland and a remarkable gender gap in STEM enrollment in all three countries. We conclude that females studying science subjects within upper secondary education appears to be a necessary but not a sufficient condition to ensure gender equality in progression to STEM fields." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Jansen, Anika, Regina Flake & Sebastian Schirner (2020): Die Fachkräftesituation in IT-Berufen und Potentiale der Zuwanderung. (KOFA-Studie / Kompetenzzentrum Fachkräftesicherung 2020,4), Köln, 21 S.

Abstract

"Seit 2010 ist die Fachkräftelücke in IT-Berufen insgesamt gestiegen. In den letzten Jahren ist die Lücke zwar wieder leicht gesunken, dennoch ist sie mit rund 20.000 fehlenden Fachkräften nach wie vor sehr hoch. Auch der Anteil der schwer zu besetzenden Stellen ist in den IT-Berufen gestiegen und lag in den meisten Jahren höher als der entsprechende Anteil bezogen auf alle Berufe. Am aktuellen Rand sind 87 Prozent der offenen Stellen nur schwer zu besetzen. Damit bestehen schwerwiegende Besetzungsprobleme für einen Großteil der Unternehmen." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

McNally, Sandra (2020): Gender Differences in Tertiary Education. What Explains STEM Participation? (CEP discussion paper 1721), London, 33 S.

Abstract

"The share of women achieving tertiary education has increased rapidly over time and now exceeds that of men in most OECD countries. However, women are severely under-represented in maths-intensive science fields, which are generally referred to as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths). The under-representation of women in these subject areas has received a great deal of attention. This is because these fields are seen to be especially important for productivity and economic growth and are associated with occupations that have higher earnings. Subject of degree is an important part of the explanation for the gender wage gap. The aim of this paper is to review evidence on explanations for the STEM gap in tertiary education. This starts with statistics about background context and evidence on how well-prepared male and female students may be for studying STEM at a later stage. I then discuss what the literature has to say about the role of personal attributes: namely confidence, self-efficacy and competitiveness and the role of preferences and expectations. I go on to discuss features of the educational context thought to be important for influencing attributes and preferences (or mediating their effects): peers; teachers; role models; and curriculum. I then briefly discuss broader cultural influences. I use the literature reviewed to discuss policy implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Poggesi, Sara, Michela Mari, Luisa De Vita & Lene Foss (2020): Women entrepreneurship in STEM fields. Literature review and future research avenues. In: International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Jg. 16, H. 1, S. 17-41. DOI:10.1007/s11365-019-00599-0

Abstract

"The aim of the paper is to explore the published management research on women entrepreneurs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (also known as STEM) fields in order to offer a first, comprehensive state-of-the-art of this research. In doing so, a systematic literature review (SLR) of 32 papers has been undertaken. The results of this SLR show that the literature on this topic is still limited and fragmented. However, seeds have been sown for stimulating the theoretical debate and the empirical knowledge on these issues. Based on our analysis of these selected papers, we offer a vibrant research agenda for future developments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

Zitatform

Pregaldini, Damiano, Uschi Backes-Gellner & Gerald Eisenkopf (2020): Girls' preferences for STEM and the effects of classroom gender composition: New evidence from a natural experiment. In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 178, S. 102-123. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2020.07.018

Zitatform

Speer, Jamin D. (2020): STEM Occupations and the Gender Gap: What Can We Learn from Job Tasks? (IZA discussion paper 13734), 39 S.

Abstract

"Policymakers often promote the importance of STEM jobs but are concerned about the underrepresentation of women and minorities in these jobs. However, there is no agreed-upon definition of STEM jobs. I use occupation task data from O*Net to analyze the STEM task content of occupations, drawing several conclusions. First, there is no clear, robust definition of STEM occupations, even when using task data. The occupations included are highly sensitive to the cut-offs and methods used. Second, there are a number of occupations that should clearly be considered STEM by task content but are typically not, including nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and economists. Third, the gender gap in STEM jobs depends heavily on how one defines STEM. One traditional definition shows that STEM jobs are 76% male, but most task-based definitions show gender gaps only half as large (62-65% male). Racial gaps in STEM and the earnings premium for STEM occupations (35-43%) are fairly stable across definitions. The results imply that policies promoting traditionally-defined STEM jobs can unnecessarily exclude women and draw workers away from other important occupations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (2020): MINT-Aktionsplan und zielgruppengerichtete Ansprachen von Mädchen und Frauen. Antwort der Bundesregierung auf die Kleine Anfrage der Abgeordneten und der Fraktion der FDP (Drucksache 19/23249). (Verhandlungen des Deutschen Bundestages. Drucksachen 19/23638 (26.10.2020)), 7 S.

Abstract

"Im Rahmen des MINT-Aktionsplans hat das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) angekündigt, auf die Bündelung und Vernetzung bestehender Initiativen zu setzen. Im Herbst 2019 wurde als eine und erste von drei Förderbekanntmachungen die Förderung regionaler Cluster zur MINT-Bildung von Jugendlichen ausgeschrieben (https://www.bmbf.de/foerderungen/bekanntmachung-2701.html). In einem weiteren Schritt soll der Aufbau von MINT-Kompetenz- und Vernetzungsstellen gefördert werden. Hierbei sollen Kriterien für gelingende qualitätsgesicherte MINT-Bildung sowie eine MINT-Internetplattform entwickelt werden. In einem dritten Schritt plant das BMBF, die Forschung zu Gelingensbedingungen guter MINT-Bildung zu fördern." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Bewien, Martin & Jakob Schwerter (2019): Does more math in high school increase the share of female stem workers? Evidence from a curriculum reform. (IZA discussion paper 12236), Bonn, 46 S.

Abstract

"This paper studies the consequences of a curriculum reform of the last two years of high school in one of the German federal states on the share of male and female students who complete degrees in STEM subjects and who later work in STEM occupations. The reform had two important aspects: (i) it equalized all students' exposure to math by making advanced math compulsory in the last two years of high school; and (ii) it roughly doubled the instruction time and increased the level of instruction in math and the natural sciences for some 80 percent of students, more so for females than for males. Our results provide some evidence that the reform had positive effects on the share of men completing STEM degrees and later working in STEM occupations but no such effects for women. The positive effects for men appear to be driven by a positive effect for engineering and computer science, which was partly counteracted by a negative effect for math and physics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Braunschweig, Luisa, Bernhard Christoph & Franziska Schreyer (2019): Ingenieur- und Naturwissenschaften: In manchen MINT-Fächern dominieren Frauen. In: IAB-Forum H. 16.12.2019, o. Sz., 2019-12-11.

Abstract

"MINT-Fächer - das Kürzel steht für Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaft, Technik - gelten gemeinhin als Männerdomäne. Frauen sind allerdings in bestimmten Teilbereichen schon länger relativ stark vertreten. Dies gilt etwa für die Verfahrenstechnik, die Gesundheits- oder Textiltechnik und für viele naturwissenschaftliche Fächer. Auch neuere Fächer wie Medientechnik, Bioinformatik oder Regenerative Energien scheinen für Frauen oftmals attraktiv zu sein." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Breda, Thomas & Clotilde Napp (2019): Girls' comparative advantage in reading can largely account for the gender gap in Math-intensive fields. (IZA discussion paper 12503), Bonn, 45 S.

Abstract

"Gender differences in math performance are now small in developed countries and they cannot explain on their own the strong under-representation of women in math-related fields. This latter result is however no longer true once gender differences in reading performance are also taken into account. Using individual-level data on 300,000 15-yearold students in 64 countries, we show that the difference between a student performance in reading and math is 80% of a standard deviation larger for girls than boys, a magnitude considered as very large. When this difference is controlled for, the gender gap in students' intentions to pursue math-intensive studies and careers is reduced by around 75%, while gender gaps in self-concept in math, declared interest for math or attitudes towards math entirely disappear. These latter variables are also much less able to explain the gender gap in intentions to study math than is students' difference in performance between math and reading. These results are in line with choice models in which educational decisions involve intra-individual comparisons of achievement and self-beliefs in different subjects as well as cultural norms regarding gender. To directly show that intra-individual comparisons of achievement impact students' intended careers, we use differences across schools in teaching resources dedicated to math and reading as exogenous variations of students comparative advantage for math. Results confirm that the comparative advantage in math with respect to reading at the time of making educational choices plays a key role in the process leading to women's under-representation in math-intensive fields." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Brück-Klingberg, Andrea & Jörg Althoff (2019): MINT-Berufe: Strukturen und Trends der Beschäftigung in Bremen. (IAB-Regional. Berichte und Analysen aus dem Regionalen Forschungsnetz. IAB Niedersachsen-Bremen 01/2019), Nürnberg, 45 S.

Abstract

"Aufgrund des Wandels der Arbeitswelt und der demografischen Entwicklung wird es in den nächsten Jahren eine große Herausforderung, den Bedarf an qualifizierten Fachkräften zu decken. Die Nachfrage nach Personen mit einem Qualifikationsprofil aus den Bereichen Mathematik, Informatik, Naturwissenschaften und Technik (MINT) wird aufgrund der Digitalisierung der Arbeitswelt steigen. So sieht das Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft in seinem MINT-Herbstreport eine wachsende MINT-Arbeitskräftelücke. Solche MINT-Berufe gelten gemeinhin als 'Männerberufe'. Einem Mangel an (hoch-)qualifizierten Fachkräften könnte u. a. damit begegnet werden, mehr Frauen für diese Berufe zu gewinnen sowie allgemein auf eine gute Nachwuchsförderung zu setzen. Dazu ist es notwendig, den Frauenanteil in der Ausbildung und im Studium der traditionell männerdominierten Fachrichtungen zu erhöhen. Für weibliche Auszubildende oder Beschäftigte zahlt sich eine stärkere Orientierung in Richtung technischer Berufe aus, wenn sich dadurch ihre Arbeitsmarktchancen verbessern.
Die vorliegende Studie beleuchtet Strukturen und Trends der Beschäftigung, der Arbeitslosigkeit und der Ausbildung in MINT-Berufen in Bremen. Neben dem Blick auf die Entwicklung und den aktuellen Stand der Beschäftigung wird hierbei auch die Arbeitslosigkeit in MINT-Berufen analysiert. Ferner wird die aktuelle Nachwuchssituation anhand der MINT-Ausbildungsberufe und -Studienfächer betrachtet, um ein ganzheitliches Bild sowohl von dem zu erwartenden Arbeitskräfteangebot als auch von den sich anhand der gesetzten Studien- und Ausbildungsschwerpunkte im MINT-Bereich abzeichnenden Zukunftstrends zu liefern." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)