Gender Differences in Determinants of Students’ Interest in STEM Education

Author:

Chauke Thulani AndrewORCID

Abstract

Despite the government’s call for students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), the gender gap in STEM education is still of significant concern in South Africa. This study aimed to describe different push-pull factors that influenced male and female students when choosing STEM education at the TVET college level. This study used qualitative research methods and focus-group interviews with a sample of 20 students studying at a TVET college in a rural part of the Limpopo province. In addition, a thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected. The study revealed that the following factors: lucrative salary, graduate unemployment rate, aptitude for mathematics and science, parental education and autonomy and independence, and rejecting stereotypical feminine identities were push-pull factors that influenced both male and female TVET college students to choose STEM education. The policy implication of this study is that an Afrocentric approach should be infused into the teaching and learning of STEM at TVET colleges.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

General Social Sciences

Reference53 articles.

1. High School Students’ Reasons for Disliking Mathematics: The Intersection Between Teacher’s Role and Student’s Emotions, Belief and Self-efficacy;International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education,2021

2. Burger, Schalk (2022, August 17). South Africa Must Focus on STEM Skills to Enable Development. Available online: https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/south-africa-must-focus-on-stem-skills-to-enable-development-2021-08-31#:~:text=South%20Africa%20needs%20to%20improve,primary%20and%20secondary%20school%20learners.

3. Cloete, Ryan (2022, August 17). What Are TVET Colleges and Their Impact?. Available online: https://www.skillsportal.co.za/content/what-are-tvet-colleges-and-their-impact.

4. Denzin, Norman K., and Lincoln, Yvonna. S. (2011). The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications.

5. Department of Basic Education (2022, August 17). Action Plan to 2019 towards the Realization of Schooling 2030 Taking forward South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030, Available online: https://www.education.gov.za/Portals/0/Documents/Publications/Action%20Plan%202019.pdf.

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3