A non-conformist choice: how young women studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in technical institutes in Ghana navigate their education and career decision

Abstract

ABSTRACT The study discussed in this paper investigated how young women studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses in upper secondary technical institutes in Ghana made their education and career decisions. The study interviewed 26 young women to explore and understand the processes they navigated to choose STEM in TVET. The findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis are grounded in these young women’s distinct social, political, and cultural experiences in Ghana. Nonetheless, the results provide evidence and knowledge that could inform policies, practices, and interventions to increase the participation of other young women in STEM-related TVET courses. The concluding section discusses recommendations from the experiences of these young women and the relevance of the processes and steps identified in the study to increase young women’s participation in STEM-related TVET.