Can STEM Identity Boost Girls’ Future Career Opportunities?
New research shows that identifying as a ‘STEM person’ during childhood significantly predicts career choices. Caregiver conversations and early identity formation may hold the key to closing gender gaps in science and technology fields.
New research suggests that early identification as a STEM person could dramatically improve future career opportunities for girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. According to recent analysis from Dr. Remy Dou at the University of Miami, the formation of STEM identity begins in early childhood and strongly predicts whether students will pursue STEM careers later in life. This finding comes at a critical time when employers continue to struggle with significant gender disparities, with men outnumbering women nearly 3-to-1 in degree-requiring STEM positions according to the National Science Board’s 2024 jobs report.