Abstract
The study investigates knowledge sharing as a predictor of STEM career path choice intentions among secondary school girls in North-Central Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The population comprised 5,433 junior secondary school girls from Federal Government Colleges in the geo-political zone. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 361 girls for the study. Instrument for data collection was a validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistics regression. Findings showed that Knowledge sharing predicted girls STEM career path choice intentions (Cox and Snell R2 = 0.025; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.047, p < 0.05). The study concludes that secondary school students at the junior level have high intentions to choose STEM career path and that the varied indicators of knowledge sharing predicted STEM career path choice intentions of junior secondary school girls in North-Central Nigeria. It was recommended that secondary school authorities should give incentives and or introduce programmes that will motivate and sustain the students’ STEM career intentions such as prizes, awards and recognitions among others for practical projects, quizzes and STEM career debates. Additionally, they should create knowledge sharing opportunities such as playing learning games, group discussions and science clubs for the girls among others.
 Keywords: Knowledge sharing, STEM, career path, Secondary schools, Career choice intentions
Highlights
Career Path Choice plays a crucial role in the preparatory educational developmental stage of an adolescent because any choice made at this stage will most likely determine a future career placement
Research has shown that there is gender disparity in STEM career paths as there are more boys than girls in this area of study even though a large proportion of Nigeria’s population is female (Wolo, 2018). This situation is largely a reflection of career path choices and decisions of girls that have culminated in their low subscription to STEM subjects and may not be dissociated from the general perception that STEM education and jobs are for men and not women
The general objective of this study is to find out how knowledge sharing practices influence secondary school girls’ STEM career path choice intentions in North-Central Nigeria
Summary
Career Path Choice plays a crucial role in the preparatory educational developmental stage of an adolescent because any choice made at this stage will most likely determine a future career placement. Research has shown that there is gender disparity in STEM career paths as there are more boys than girls in this area of study even though a large proportion of Nigeria’s population is female (Wolo, 2018). It has the potential to increase comprehension of how things work, boost students’ usage of ICT tools as well as introduce them to more engineering courses in precollege education It is not a prerogative of boys only but depends on students’ disposition to STEM subjects and careers, and their choices
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