Abstract
In Germany, secondary school students have to choose at least one STEM subject (mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics) for their Secondary School Leaving Examinations. In a representative sample of students in grade 13 in one federal state in Germany, we explore boys’ and girls' subject choices in an expectancy-value framework by considering students’ prior performance, ability self-concept, and values in the chosen subject. We extend previous research by including dimensional comparisons that students make between the varying subjects they have to choose from. We discriminate between two opposing groups. One group shows a science-avoidance choice pattern by selecting only one science subject: biology (n = 439). The other group shows a science-oriented choice pattern by selecting physics or chemistry or two STEM subjects of which one was at least physics or chemistry (n = 248). We measured achievement test scores, relative and absolute midterm grades, ability self-concepts as well as attainment and utility values in chosen and non-chosen subjects and calculated logistic regressions as well as multigroup models. Our results showed that science-oriented final exam choices depended highly on ability self-concept in mathematics for boys and girls and on the relative mathematics-English midterm grade for boys. When controlling for the other predictors, attainment and utility values seemed to be irrelevant for science-oriented final exam subject choice. Our findings raise the question whether boys and girls should be encouraged differently in order to stay in the STEM pipeline and how structural conditions may shape pathways into or out of this pipeline.
Highlights
Low student enrollment in STEM subjects appears to be a widespread problem
We report the findings of the multigroup analyses with respect to gender differences
Despite having lower mathematics achievement test scores than male students, female students on average received equal mathematics midterm grades compared to male students
Summary
Low student enrollment in STEM subjects appears to be a widespread problem (e.g., for the United States: McFarland et al, 2018; for Europe: OECD, 2018). It is important to concentrate on the analysis of academic choices and their determinants in the late school career, when trying to identify reasons for low enrollment rates and gender differences in enrollment rates in STEM university studies (Guo et al, 2015b). Against this background, it might be a fruitful endeavor to investigate how regulations regarding subject choices in the final school exams encourage academic decisions in favor of or against STEM subjects. In England, students are free to choose from a wide variety of subjects without including science or mathematics (Cuff, 2017)
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