Examining gender impact on the selection and persistence of STEM careers in a Uruguayan University without access barriers

Abstract

The prevailing theory attributes the underrepresentation of women in STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to historical gender stereotypes associating jobs and careers in STEM fields primarily with men. The study design carried out in this quantitative research combines questionnaires and administrative records from 23,239 students of the 2018 cohort at the University of the Republic of Uruguay. The logistic models estimated, which were controlled for students’ socio-economic background, determined 17.55% of the variance in general persistence, 14.9% of the variance in STEM persistence, and 5.6% in career choice. The results show that women have half the probability of choosing STEM careers and less probability of persisting in them. Women who are first-generation students have lower probabilities of choosing STEM careers, and GPA is determinant in persistence, particularly for women. For future research, it would be interesting to examine the mechanisms that influence women’s access to and persistence in STEM careers, distinguishing between universities that impose entry barriers and those that do not. In this way, it would be possible to contrast the causal mechanisms operating in different institutional contexts, based on some initial evidence presented in this study.