Males were more than 2.5 times as likely as females to make a STEM career choice in the TEDS sample¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · associationalr3·q3·i2medium
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2029: baselines and conditions change
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i2 The proportion of STEM career choices differed significantly by sex (42.5% vs 21.9%), with males more than 2.5 times as likely to choose a STEM career (OR = 2.63). → Ferdinand 2024
Evidence¶
Ferdinand 2024¶
Ferdinand, R., Malanchini, M. & Rimfeld, K. (2024). Mathematics interest, self-efficacy, and anxiety predict STEM career choice in emerging adulthood. npj Science of Learning. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-024-00275-1
q3 · i2 · associational · r3
Pearson's chi-square test on the N = 2254 subsample with degree/apprenticeship choices. The article prints OR = 2.63, an effect size; 21.9% of females vs 42.5% of males chose STEM careers.
"The p roportion of STEM career choices was found to differ signi ficantly by sex, with males being more than 2.5 times as likely to make a STEM career choice than females, (X2(1, N = 2254) = 105, p < 0.001, OR = 2.63)"
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Gender — predictor: outcomes differ by group: a gap reflecting circumstances and treatment, not a cause
Related Claims¶
- Maths anxiety predicted STEM career choice in males but not females, although the sex difference itself was not statistically significant — related
- Maths interest in adolescence is a significant independent predictor of STEM career choice in emerging adulthood, for both males and females, including after adjusting for maths achievement and SES — related
- Maths self-efficacy predicted STEM career choice in females but not males, though the association was explained by maths achievement after adjustment — related
- Female participants reported significantly higher maths anxiety and general anxiety, while males reported higher maths self-efficacy and maths interest — related
- Male secondary students report significantly higher STEM career interest than female students across AI, computer science, and engineering at baseline — related
- Girls show less confidence and interest in math and science from early adolescence, and a strong math/science self-concept predicts course choice and performance for both genders — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
status |
review |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-26 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.