Gender gaps in science: systematic review of the main explanations and research agenda

Abstract

Despite improvements in the incorporation of women in tertiary education and science, today persist several gender gaps in some scientific and technological areas worldwide. Understanding the factors that determine these gaps is essential to the incorporation of women into knowledge societies in terms of equity. The present research sought to explore and systematize the explanations given to this phenomenon by the international literature in the last four decades. The objectives were: (1). Analyze the evolution of the main research agendas and categorize these into groups (or clusters) of explanations, and (2) discuss the challenges that research agendas face in addressing the phenomenon in a multi-causal way. The data were obtained from the articles contained in the Web of Science (WoS) and were subjected to a systematic review using bibliometric and qualitative techniques. The analysis reveals an important growth of the research in this area within the social sciences, which is grouped into five main types of explanation: (1) student performance in STEM areas, (2) influence of gender stereotypes and models, (3) interests and educational-learning experiences, (4) educational-occupational expectations and choices, and (5) uneven advancement and performance in scientific careers. Evolution shows that explanations about performance and individual choice have lost weight in the present, giving rise to explanations about the influence of gender stereotypes and models within educational systems and socialization stages. This study thus contributes to the understanding of the causal factors that have determined gender gaps in science while identifying some gaps in research agendas.