Abstract
This study investigates whether male and female students differ with respect to their STEM identity, and how female students negotiate between being female and being students pursuing careers that are perceived as masculine. The study uses a sequential explanatory mixed method design. A total of 749 final year STEM students from three Tanzanian universities participated in a survey that investigated STEM identity using six sub-scales: identity prominence, gender identity, stereotype endorsement, self-efficacy, persistence intentions, and positive feedback. Also, 19 females were interviewed as a follow-up exploration. Findings indicated a significant difference on stereotype endorsement only, where males significantly held negative stereotypes about females’ abilities to succeed in STEM. However, there were a few variations across universities and specific STEM programmes. Qualitatively, the findings indicated that as a result of social and cultural constructions, meanings associated with some STEM careers such as engineering were in conflict with meanings associated with being a woman. Consequently, females in STEM must find a negotiating space by balancing the two conflicting identities. Interestingly, females used different strategies such as deliberate efforts to outperform males in examinations as a means to resist male domination in STEM. Finally, the implications for policy and future research are discussed.
Recommended Citation
kinyota, mjege
(2021)
"A Portrait of the Gender Gap in STEM: A Focus on Identity Formation Among Final-year Undergraduate Students in Tanzania,"
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences: Vol. 10
:
No.
3
, Article 2.
Available at: https://doi.org/10.56279/jhss.v10.i3.0