Female Mentors and Peers: A Heterogeneity Analysis of Gender Gaps in Attitudes towards STEM in South Korea

(2022). Female Mentors and Peers: A Heterogeneity Analysis of Gender Gaps in Attitudes towards STEM in South Korea. Korea Journal, 62(2), 208-240, https://doi.org/10.25024/kj.2022.62.2.208

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Abstract

This paper investigates whether gender-matching school environments can foster girls’ interest and motivation in science. Using the 2015 PISA data for South Korea, the findings show that single-sex schooling and female teachers have positive effects on high-performing girls’ attitudes in science studies. By attending an all-girls school and being taught by female science teachers, girls who are ranked in the highest quartile of the science test become as motivated and interested in pursuing studies and careers in STEM fields as boys in the same rank. In addition, female teachers also enhance competitive attitudes of average- and low-performing girls. But single-sex schooling has no positive effect on them. These heterogeneous results propose gender-matching schooling as a useful policy instrument to recruit female talent among high-performing girls into STEM fields. Yet, this effect is not universal and therefore cannot be generalized to everyone.

keywords: Gender, STEM, gender-matching schooling, cognitive and non-cognitive performance, South Korea

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Article Contents

Vol.62 No.2

Female Mentors and Peers: A Heterogeneity Analysis of Gender Gaps in Attitudes towards STEM in South Korea

Abstract

Korea Journal