STEM-Gender Stereotypes: Associations With School Empowerment and School Engagement Among Italian and Nigerian Adolescents
While many sociocultural, contextual, biological, behavioral, and psychological variables may contribute to the widespread under-representation of girls and women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field, this study focused on STEM-gender stereotypes, school experiences,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.879178/full |
| _version_ | 1817979369360982016 |
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| author | Pasquale Musso Maria Beatrice Ligorio Ebere Ibe Susanna Annese Cristina Semeraro Rosalinda Cassibba |
| author_facet | Pasquale Musso Maria Beatrice Ligorio Ebere Ibe Susanna Annese Cristina Semeraro Rosalinda Cassibba |
| author_sort | Pasquale Musso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While many sociocultural, contextual, biological, behavioral, and psychological variables may contribute to the widespread under-representation of girls and women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field, this study focused on STEM-gender stereotypes, school experiences, and adolescence as critical factors in driving students' interest and motivation in STEM. Based on this, the study (a) investigated differences by gender and national context (Italy vs. Nigeria) in adolescents' STEM-gender stereotypes, school empowerment, and school engagement in a preliminary step, and (b) simultaneously examined how adolescents' STEM-gender stereotypes were related to school empowerment and school engagement as well as to socioeconomic status (SES). These latter relations were considered within the context of the potential moderating role of gender and national context. Participants included 213 Italian adolescents (Mage = 13.91; 52.1% girls) and 214 Nigerian adolescents (Mage = 13.92; 60.3% girls), who completed measures of school empowerment and engagement, STEM-gender stereotypes, and SES. A multivariate analysis of covariance showed that Nigerian girls and boys reported significantly higher levels of school empowerment, school engagement, and STEM-gender stereotypes than their Italian peers. Moreover, regardless of the national context, boys scored significantly higher on school empowerment and STEM-gender stereotypes than girls. Furthermore, a multiple-group path analysis revealed how higher school empowerment was related to lower STEM-gender stereotypes in both Italian and Nigerian girls' groups, while higher school engagement was associated with lower STEM-gender stereotypes only in the Nigerian groups. Regardless of gender and nationality, higher SES was linked to lower STEM-gender stereotypes. These findings particularly suggest that school empowerment and school engagement can be relevant dimensions to be studied and to develop strategies to counteract STEM-gender stereotypes in adolescence. Nonetheless, gender and national context are key factors to be considered. Limitations, strengths, future research, and educational implications are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:42:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-92d70fd1aa104e939b71dc8078bba49d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:42:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-92d70fd1aa104e939b71dc8078bba49d2022-12-22T02:26:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-07-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.879178879178STEM-Gender Stereotypes: Associations With School Empowerment and School Engagement Among Italian and Nigerian AdolescentsPasquale Musso0Maria Beatrice Ligorio1Ebere Ibe2Susanna Annese3Cristina Semeraro4Rosalinda Cassibba5Department of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Studies of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, ItalyDepartment of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Studies of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, ItalyDepartment of Science Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, NigeriaDepartment of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Studies of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, ItalyDepartment of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Studies of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, ItalyDepartment of Educational Sciences, Psychology, Communication, University of Studies of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, ItalyWhile many sociocultural, contextual, biological, behavioral, and psychological variables may contribute to the widespread under-representation of girls and women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field, this study focused on STEM-gender stereotypes, school experiences, and adolescence as critical factors in driving students' interest and motivation in STEM. Based on this, the study (a) investigated differences by gender and national context (Italy vs. Nigeria) in adolescents' STEM-gender stereotypes, school empowerment, and school engagement in a preliminary step, and (b) simultaneously examined how adolescents' STEM-gender stereotypes were related to school empowerment and school engagement as well as to socioeconomic status (SES). These latter relations were considered within the context of the potential moderating role of gender and national context. Participants included 213 Italian adolescents (Mage = 13.91; 52.1% girls) and 214 Nigerian adolescents (Mage = 13.92; 60.3% girls), who completed measures of school empowerment and engagement, STEM-gender stereotypes, and SES. A multivariate analysis of covariance showed that Nigerian girls and boys reported significantly higher levels of school empowerment, school engagement, and STEM-gender stereotypes than their Italian peers. Moreover, regardless of the national context, boys scored significantly higher on school empowerment and STEM-gender stereotypes than girls. Furthermore, a multiple-group path analysis revealed how higher school empowerment was related to lower STEM-gender stereotypes in both Italian and Nigerian girls' groups, while higher school engagement was associated with lower STEM-gender stereotypes only in the Nigerian groups. Regardless of gender and nationality, higher SES was linked to lower STEM-gender stereotypes. These findings particularly suggest that school empowerment and school engagement can be relevant dimensions to be studied and to develop strategies to counteract STEM-gender stereotypes in adolescence. Nonetheless, gender and national context are key factors to be considered. Limitations, strengths, future research, and educational implications are discussed.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.879178/fullSTEM-gender stereotypesschool empowermentschool engagementsocio-economic statuscultural comparison |
| spellingShingle | Pasquale Musso Maria Beatrice Ligorio Ebere Ibe Susanna Annese Cristina Semeraro Rosalinda Cassibba STEM-Gender Stereotypes: Associations With School Empowerment and School Engagement Among Italian and Nigerian Adolescents Frontiers in Psychology STEM-gender stereotypes school empowerment school engagement socio-economic status cultural comparison |
| title | STEM-Gender Stereotypes: Associations With School Empowerment and School Engagement Among Italian and Nigerian Adolescents |
| title_full | STEM-Gender Stereotypes: Associations With School Empowerment and School Engagement Among Italian and Nigerian Adolescents |
| title_fullStr | STEM-Gender Stereotypes: Associations With School Empowerment and School Engagement Among Italian and Nigerian Adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | STEM-Gender Stereotypes: Associations With School Empowerment and School Engagement Among Italian and Nigerian Adolescents |
| title_short | STEM-Gender Stereotypes: Associations With School Empowerment and School Engagement Among Italian and Nigerian Adolescents |
| title_sort | stem gender stereotypes associations with school empowerment and school engagement among italian and nigerian adolescents |
| topic | STEM-gender stereotypes school empowerment school engagement socio-economic status cultural comparison |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.879178/full |
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