STEM Gender Stereotypes Across High School: Links with Parents’ and Teachers’ Stereotypes to Adolescents’ Identity and Outcomes

• In Event: Gender Stereotypes and STEM Motivation: Experimental, Longitudinal, Meta-analytic, and Intervention Research Across the Lifespan

Abstract

This longitudinal study explores the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of math ability gender stereotypes among a large, nationally representative U.S. sample of high school students. Endorsing the stereotype that boys and men are better at math and science may shape students’ subsequent STEM outcomes, because of its impact on their math and science identity (Cheryan, Master, & Meltzoff, 2015). However, prior research has not yet longitudinally examined the changes in adolescents’ math and science gender stereotypes, their subsequent correlates, and predictors. Based on prior research (e.g., Steffens & Jelenec, 2011), we hypothesized that significantly more adolescents, parents, and teachers would endorse the belief that males are better in math and science, and that both boys and girls will become significantly more biased towards the traditional gender stereotype from 9th to 11th grade. Based on balanced identity theory (Greenwald et al., 2002)., we anticipated that stereotyping males as better at math and science would be positively related to boys’ identity, but negatively related to girls’ identity, and that their identity in turn would positively relate to outcomes such as number of math and science high school courses, the most advanced math and science course taken, and future STEM career goals.

Method
Data were obtained from the High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS) dataset. Participants were 22,190 high schoolers surveyed in 9th and 11th grade (50% girls, 53% White, 22% Latinx, 13% Black, 3% Asian) along with youths’ parents and STEM teachers. The present study used questions on math and science identity (2-items each; a = .84-.89) and math and science outcomes (number of courses taken, highest course taken, and STEM career interest). To measure math and science ability stereotypes, we used the question “In general, how would you compare males and females in each of the following subjects? [Math][Science]” (1 = females are much better to 5 = males are much better).

Results and Discussion
As expected, we found that parents, girls in 11th grade, and boys in 9th and 11th grade were significantly more likely to believe that boys are better at math and at science when compared to girls (Cohen’s d = .05-.28, all p’s < .001). Additionally, using repeated measures ANCOVAS we found that adolescent math and science gender stereotypes became significantly more traditional from 9th to 11th grade (p’s < .001). Parents were three times more likely to believe that males are better at math/science, and we found significant positive relations between parents’ and adolescents’ stereotypes (see figures). Finally, adolescents’ stereotypes were significantly related to their math/science identity (positively for boys, negatively for girls), which in turn related to their STEM outcomes (STEM career interest and course taking) over the course of high school (see figures). However, complicating the story, students’ 9th grade STEM identity also influenced their 11th grade math and science gender stereotypes. In sum, traditional gender stereotypes regarding math and science increase from 9th to 11th grade, and negatively relate to girls’ math and science identity, and in turn, other outcomes.

Authors

• Christine R Starr, University of California - Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Sandra Simpkins, University of California - Irvine
  Non-Presenting Author