STEM Interests and Future Career Perspectives of Junior High School Students: A Gender Study

Abstract

Career choice and subject interests coincide as two significant factors for students to become driven in pursuing their academic and professional pathways. Though, literature studies revealed gender disparities in selecting educational tracks among students especially in the field of STEM. Hence, this study intended to analyze the gender differences in STEM interests and future career perspectives (FCP); and the relationships of FCP constructs, and of personal value and enjoyment. The participants were 334 junior high school students in the Philippines with 212 girls and 122 boys using non-random sampling. This study adapted the validated survey instruments from pertinent literatures to examine the variables. Based on the findings, there were no significant differences between and within the students’ STEM interests and FCP in terms of gender. Both boys and girls have moderate interests in all STEM subjects except from trigonometry where boys have low interest. Additionally, there were weak positive correlations between and within the three FCP constructs. In contrast, a strong positive correlation was found between personal value and enjoyment. It is recommended that educational programs of schools should stimulate the STEM interests of junior high school students and improve their career guidance curricula.