Unlocking Potential: Exploring the Socio-Economic Landscape of High School STEM Girls in Khulna and Rajshahi Districts

Abstract

The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Bangladesh permits students to choose a specialization based on aptitude, passion, and academic excellence that equips them for the college degree of their choice. So, the students who prefer the science stream are recognized as capable in all aspects. This study aims to explore the socio-economic characteristics of the STEM girls in Khulna and Rajshahi Districts of Bangladesh who are studying in classes IX and X in the science stream at secondary school, which assesses their ability to pursue STEM education. For this, the researchers have chosen a survey design. The study utilized 410 STEM girl students for a questionnaire survey from eight girls' high schools in Bangladesh's Khulna and Rajshahi districts. The schools were selected purposefully, and the students were selected randomly from classes nine and ten. Besides this, four focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in four selected schools, where 44 (forty-four) participants attended and gave their opinions, comments, and observations. Data and information have been collected between July 2021 and June 2023. Using descriptive statistics and qualitative methods, socio-economic strands of the STEM girls have been explored, which cover their religious affiliation, age, marital status, educational qualifications of respondents' parents, occupational status of their parents, household-based income and expenditure analysis of the respondents' parents or guardians, information about family and siblings of the STEM girls, monthly expense analysis, and residential status. It was found that most of them are ahead of the national index of Bangladesh in some indexes. So, it is logical to claim that even though some STEM girls face severe problems, they are capable of studying STEM education in Bangladesh's existing framework.