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The High School Environment and the Gender Gap in Science and Engineering

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  • Legewie, Joscha
  • DiPrete, Thomas A.

Abstract

Despite the striking reversal of the gender gap in education, women pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees at much lower rates than those of their male peers. This study extends existing explanations for these gender differences and examines the role of the high school context for plans to major in STEM fields. Building on recent gender theories, we argue that widely shared and hegemonic gender beliefs manifest differently across schools so that the gender-specific formation of study plans is shaped by the local environment of high schools. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study, we first show large variations between high schools in the ability to attract students to STEM fields conditional on a large set of pre–high school measures. Schools that are successful in attracting students to these fields reduce the gender gap by 25 percent or more. As a first step toward understanding what matters about schools, we then estimate the effect of two concrete high school characteristics on plans to major in STEM fields in college—a high school’s curriculum in STEM and gender segregation of extracurricular activities. These factors have a substantial effect on the gender gap in plans to major in STEM: a finding that is reaffirmed in a number of sensitivity analyses. Our focus on the high school context opens concrete avenues for policy intervention and is of central theoretical importance to understand the gender gap in orientations toward STEM fields.

Suggested Citation

  • Legewie, Joscha & DiPrete, Thomas A., 2014. "The High School Environment and the Gender Gap in Science and Engineering," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 87(4), pages 259-280.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:190832
    DOI: 10.1177/0038040714547770
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    Cited by:

    1. Shi, Ying, 2018. "The puzzle of missing female engineers: Academic preparation, ability beliefs, and preferences," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 129-143.
    2. Yonghong Jade Xu, 2016. "Aspirations and Application for Graduate Education: Gender Differences in Low-Participation STEM Disciplines," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 57(8), pages 913-942, December.
    3. Dulce-Salcedo, Olga Victoria & Maldonado, Darío & Sánchez, Fabio, 2022. "Is the proportion of female STEM teachers in secondary education related to women’s enrollment in tertiary education STEM programs?," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Caviggioli, Federico & Colombelli, Alessandra & Ravetti, Chiara, 2022. "Peers and stars: the role of gender among coinventors," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 202217, University of Turin.
    5. Katherina Kuschel & Kerstin Ettl & Cristina Díaz-García & Gry Agnete Alsos, 2020. "Stemming the gender gap in STEM entrepreneurship – insights into women’s entrepreneurship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, March.
    6. David Ansong & Moses Okumu & Travis J. Albritton & Eva Paige Bahnuk & Eusebius Small, 2020. "The Role of Social Support and Psychological Well-Being in STEM Performance Trends across Gender and Locality: Evidence from Ghana," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(5), pages 1655-1673, October.
    7. Rafael Quintana & Soojin Park & Suyeon Kang, 2025. "Causal decomposition analysis in disparities research: investigating the effect of self-efficacy on the gender gap in STEM," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 3327-3351, August.
    8. Patricia Wonch Hill & Julia McQuillan & Eli Talbert & Amy Spiegel & G. Robin Gauthier & Judy Diamond, 2017. "Science Possible Selves and the Desire to be a Scientist: Mindsets, Gender Bias, and Confidence during Early Adolescence," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-18, May.
    9. Leuze, Kathrin & Helbig, Marcel, 2015. "Why do girls' and boys' gender-(a)typical occupational aspirations differ across countries? How cultural norms and institutional constraints shape young adolescents' occupational preferences," Discussion Papers, Presidential Department P 2015-002, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    10. Magali Jaoul-Grammare, 2018. "Why do young people make atypical gender-related study choices? An analysis of French master’s graduates," Working Papers of BETA 2018-39, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    11. Sean Patrick Corcoran & E. Christine Baker-Smith, 2018. "Pathways to an Elite Education: Application, Admission, and Matriculation to New York City's Specialized High Schools," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 13(2), pages 256-279, Spring.
    12. Sarah Thébaud & Maria Charles, 2018. "Segregation, Stereotypes, and STEM," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-18, July.
    13. Zsuzsa Blasko & Artur Pokropek & Joanna Sikora, 2018. "Science career plans of adolescents: patterns, trends and gender divides," JRC Research Reports JRC109135, Joint Research Centre.
    14. Magali Jaoul-Grammare, 2023. "Gendered professions, prestigious professions: When stereotypes condition career choices," Post-Print halshs-04753934, HAL.
    15. Steven Elías Alvarado & Paul Muniz, 2018. "Racial and Ethnic Heterogeneity in the Effect of MESA on AP STEM Coursework and College STEM Major Aspirations," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 59(7), pages 933-957, November.
    16. Valdés, Manuel T. & Solga, Heike, 2024. "The STEM leaky pipeline at labor market entry in Spain: The role of job competition and social origin," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 124, pages 1-17.
    17. Eva Schlenker, 2015. "The labour supply of women in STEM," IZA Journal of European Labor Studies, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-17, December.
    18. G. Robin Gauthier & Patricia Wonch Hill & Julia McQuillan & Amy N. Spiegel & Judy Diamond, 2017. "The Potential Scientist’s Dilemma: How the Masculine Framing of Science Shapes Friendships and Science Job Aspirations," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-21, February.
    19. Addissie Melak & Seema Singh, 2021. "Women’s Participation and Factors Affecting Their Academic Performance in Engineering and Technology Education: A Study of Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-22, February.
    20. Magali Jaoul-Grammare, 2022. "Gendered professions, prestigious professions: when stereotypes condition career choices," Working Papers of BETA 2022-28, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    21. Tahmooresnejad, Leila & Turkina, Ekaterina, 2022. "Female inventors over time: Factors affecting female Inventors’ innovation performance," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(1).
    22. Erdmann, Melinda & Marques Hill, Agustina & Helbig, Marcel & Leuze, Kathrin, 2023. "Do women's empowerment and self-expression values change adolescents' gendered occupational expectations? Longitudinal evidence against the gender-equality paradox from 26 European countries," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 8, pages 1-17.

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