Abstract
ABSTRACT This article seeks to understand women’s underrepresentation in STEM professions by investigating the educational factors contributing to female students’ identity development. The current study undertakes a comparative approach between STEM, and the most popular field of study with women, Management and Commerce. Data were collected from a University in Australia. Structural equation modelling was employed for data analysis. Our findings showed that teacher support enhances students’ identity development with their fields of study by lowering feelings of alienation from school and improving the valence of heterogeneity. The comparative approach of this study revealed that teachers’ gender explains students’ identity development with the field of study of STEM. The comparative nature of the research provides deep insights into the role that teachers’ gender plays in strengthening the relationship between teacher support and students’ identity development with STEM discipline. This study is one of the very few shifting the research attention to the education sector, where women’s identity with STEM professions is developed initially. This research makes a significant contribution to the literature by illuminating the mechanisms through which teaching support and educational environment enhance female students’ identity development.
Published Version
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