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Factors influencing the lower number of women in STEM compared to men: A case study from Kosovo


  • Received: 31 July 2024 Revised: 07 October 2024 Accepted: 17 October 2024 Published: 05 December 2024
  • The gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a global issue. Despite progress in recent years, significant barriers continue to hinder women's entry and persistence in STEM disciplines. This study examines the multifaceted barriers that prevent women from entering and continuing in STEM disciplines through interviews with high school schoolers. The findings highlight challenges such as gender stereotypes, the lack of role models, and insufficient encouragement from educational environments. The study proposes interventions to increase women's engagement in STEM, including mentoring programs, integration of STEM in early education, and increased institutional support. These recommendations aim to inspire a new generation of women to explore and succeed in STEM fields, thus contributing to a more balanced workforce.

    Citation: Rrezart Prebreza, Bleona Beqiraj, Besart Prebreza, Arianit Krypa, Marigona Krypa. Factors influencing the lower number of women in STEM compared to men: A case study from Kosovo[J]. STEM Education, 2025, 5(1): 19-40. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025002

    Related Papers:

  • The gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a global issue. Despite progress in recent years, significant barriers continue to hinder women's entry and persistence in STEM disciplines. This study examines the multifaceted barriers that prevent women from entering and continuing in STEM disciplines through interviews with high school schoolers. The findings highlight challenges such as gender stereotypes, the lack of role models, and insufficient encouragement from educational environments. The study proposes interventions to increase women's engagement in STEM, including mentoring programs, integration of STEM in early education, and increased institutional support. These recommendations aim to inspire a new generation of women to explore and succeed in STEM fields, thus contributing to a more balanced workforce.



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  • Author's biography PhD. Rrezart Prebreza is a lecturer specializing in science learning and software development application. His research focuses on STEM education, science teacher professional development, and best practices in science learning. Additionally, he explores efficient, scalable, and secure application development with Spring Boot, covering microservices architecture, RESTful API development, security, deployment, and performance optimization. He aims to advance Spring Boot development practices; Bleona Beqiraj holds a Bachelor's degree with a focus on STEM and Education. She is dedicated to advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the educational field, fostering innovative learning approaches to prepare men and women for future challenges; PhD. Besart Prebreza is a lecturer specializing in programming and security. He has expertise in languages like Java, C++, and Python, teaching schoolers to develop robust software applications. His work covers programming paradigms, frameworks, and best practices.
    In security, Besart focuses on cybersecurity, secure coding, network security, and data protection. He teaches schoolers to incorporate security measures into software development and address vulnerabilities. His work emphasizes STEM education, integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to provide a comprehensive learning experience; Dr. Arianit Krypa is a distinguished assistant professor in STEM and Education at UNI Universum International College. With a PhD in Management and Technology, Dr. Krypa has excelled academically. Experienced in higher education and business management, he has served as a deputy director and a manager in various institutions. Dr. Krypa actively contributes to scientific research in STEM and Education, authoring numerous national; Dr. Marigonë Krypa is a distinguished assistant professor in Business and Management at UNI Universum International College. With a PhD in Management, Dr. Krypa has excelled academically, notably as the outstanding student from the University of Pristina. Experienced in higher education and business management, she has served as a deputy director and a manager in various institutions. Dr. Krypa actively contributes to scientific research in management, IT, and leadership, authoring numerous national and international papers and serving as a reviewer for 24 textbooks
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