STEM Fever but Hesitate to Choose? The Contextual Factors Influencing the STEM Career Choice of Female Undergraduate Students in China.
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| Title: | STEM Fever but Hesitate to Choose? The Contextual Factors Influencing the STEM Career Choice of Female Undergraduate Students in China. |
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| Authors: | Li, Tong1 (AUTHOR) lt510@cam.ac.uk, Liu, Yifan2 (AUTHOR) yliu66@albany.edu |
| Source: | Research in Science Education. Feb2026, Vol. 56 Issue 1, p141-164. 24p. |
| Subject Terms: | *STEM education, *Vocational guidance, *Students, Self-efficacy, Family traditions, Asians |
| Geographic Terms: | China |
| Abstract: | Based on the Social Career Cognitive Theory model (SCCT), the purpose of this study was to understand undergraduate female students' STEM career choices and the factors that influenced their decision-making processes in a collectivist cultural environment. Using a qualitative approach and content analysis, the data from 21 semi-structured interviews was collected and analyzed. Four key themes, namely contextual factors, outcome expectation, self-efficacy, and career pathways, and several subthemes were identified to understand female students' persistence and career development in STEM majors. The findings of this research provide support for the SCCT framework, suggesting that female students' persistence in STEM can be predicted by their self-efficacy, with outcome expectations and contextual factors acting as influencing factors. The findings also highlight three main observations that should be emphasized by future research, including family factors in a collectivist culture, the impact of sexism on self-efficacy, and the way to overcome barriers in a Chinese context. The theoretical contributions and practical recommendations for improving the learning experience of female undergraduate students in STEM fields are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Research in Science Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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