Impact of gender role stereotypes on STEM academic performance among high school girls: Mediating effects of educational aspirations

Ping Chen; Aminuddin Bin Hassan; Firdaus Mohamad Hamzah; Sallar Salam Murad; Heng Wu; Ping Chen; Aminuddin Bin Hassan; Firdaus Mohamad Hamzah; Sallar Salam Murad; Heng Wu

doi:10.3934/steme.2025029

STEM Education

2025, Volume 5, Issue 4: 617-642. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025029

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Research article

Impact of gender role stereotypes on STEM academic performance among high school girls: Mediating effects of educational aspirations

1.
Faculty of Educational Studies, University Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43300, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; chenn.ping06@gmail.com, aminuddin@upm.edu.my
2.
Centre of Defence Foundation Studies, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), 57000 Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; kagba2006@gmail.com
3.
Collage of Computing, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Kajang, Malaysia; sallarmurad@gmail.com
4.
Faculty of Human Ecology, University Putra Malaysia (UPM), 43300, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; 674342693@qq.com

Academic Editor: Hepu Deng

Received: 17 January 2025 Revised: 18 May 2025 Accepted: 27 May 2025 Published: 16 June 2025

The underrepresentation of women in STEM fields persists, despite ongoing global initiatives aimed at achieving gender equality. Gender inequality and associated biases significantly impact educational equity and academic outcomes. This research investigated the impact of gender role stereotypes on the STEM academic performance of high school girls in economically deprived regions of China, with a particular focus on the mediating effect of educational aspirations and the moderating role of grade level in promoting equity in STEM education. Using a quantitative research approach, this study surveyed 768 female students (10th–11th grade) and analyzed data using regression and moderated mediation analysis to examine the proposed relationships. Results show that gender role stereotypes and STEM academic performance have a negative correlation (β = -0.066, p < 0.05). This association is fully mediated by educational aspirations, indicating that gender role stereotypes primarily influence STEM performance by shaping students' academic aspirations [indirect effect β = 0.134, 95% CI (-0.9047, -0.0994), p < 0.001]. Specifically, stronger gender role stereotypes are associated with lower educational aspirations, which in turn lead to reduced STEM academic achievement. However, as students progress to higher grades, the negative effect of gender role stereotypes on STEM academic performance weakens, becoming nonsignificant in 11th grade. This pattern suggests that while educational aspirations serve as a critical pathway through which gender role stereotypes affect STEM outcomes, the overall influence of these stereotypes diminishes as students face increasing academic pressure and raise more resilient self-identities. This study emphasizes the necessity of addressing gender stereotypes at pivotal educational stages and advocates for specific interventions. The research presented here offers practical recommendations for policymakers and educators aimed at promoting gender equity and mitigating achievement barriers in STEM fields.
- gender role stereotypes,
- educational aspirations,
- STEM academic performance,
- secondary education,
- moderated mediation analysis
Citation: Ping Chen, Aminuddin Bin Hassan, Firdaus Mohamad Hamzah, Sallar Salam Murad, Heng Wu. Impact of gender role stereotypes on STEM academic performance among high school girls: Mediating effects of educational aspirations[J]. STEM Education, 2025, 5(4): 617-642. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025029

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Abstract

The underrepresentation of women in STEM fields persists, despite ongoing global initiatives aimed at achieving gender equality. Gender inequality and associated biases significantly impact educational equity and academic outcomes. This research investigated the impact of gender role stereotypes on the STEM academic performance of high school girls in economically deprived regions of China, with a particular focus on the mediating effect of educational aspirations and the moderating role of grade level in promoting equity in STEM education. Using a quantitative research approach, this study surveyed 768 female students (10th–11th grade) and analyzed data using regression and moderated mediation analysis to examine the proposed relationships. Results show that gender role stereotypes and STEM academic performance have a negative correlation (β = -0.066, p < 0.05). This association is fully mediated by educational aspirations, indicating that gender role stereotypes primarily influence STEM performance by shaping students' academic aspirations [indirect effect β = 0.134, 95% CI (-0.9047, -0.0994), p < 0.001]. Specifically, stronger gender role stereotypes are associated with lower educational aspirations, which in turn lead to reduced STEM academic achievement. However, as students progress to higher grades, the negative effect of gender role stereotypes on STEM academic performance weakens, becoming nonsignificant in 11th grade. This pattern suggests that while educational aspirations serve as a critical pathway through which gender role stereotypes affect STEM outcomes, the overall influence of these stereotypes diminishes as students face increasing academic pressure and raise more resilient self-identities. This study emphasizes the necessity of addressing gender stereotypes at pivotal educational stages and advocates for specific interventions. The research presented here offers practical recommendations for policymakers and educators aimed at promoting gender equity and mitigating achievement barriers in STEM fields.

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Author's biography Ping Chen received the M.Sc. degree in curriculum and instruction from Chongqing Normal University (CYU), China, in 2018. She is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in curriculum and instruction with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia. She specializes in teaching and learning, pedagogy and education, learning curriculum development, and educational psychology. Her research interests include STEM education, educational technology, and decision-making in education; Aminuddin B. Hassan is a professor of philosophy of education with Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia. He is specialized in the philosophical underpinnings of education; he contributes significantly to the understanding of education's profound impact on society. His research interests include teaching and consultancy work, in the areas of philosophy of education, higher education, thinking skills, and logic; Firdaus M. Hamzah is a professor of environmental Statistics with the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM), Malaysia. He is specializes in applied statistics, data science, environmental science, and civil engineering. His research interests include data science, machine learning, wavelet analysis, temporal and spatial modeling, education, and management. He has published numerous high-quality articles in these areas; Sallar S. Murad received the M.Sc. degree in computer science from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia, in 2018. He is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree in information and communication technology with Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Malaysia. He has published a few articles in reputable journals. He also publishes books on Amazon Kindle. His main research interests include the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, visible light communication (VLC), hybrid optical wireless and RF communications, LiFi, and wireless technologies. He is a reviewer in many journals; Heng Wu received the Ph.D. degree in musicology from the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 2024. Her research interests include folk music, traditional music, and music education. She is currently working in the fields of music education and education management

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