STEM Interests and Future Career

Perspectives of Junior High School

Students: A Gender Study

Christopher H. Punzalan
National University, Philippines

www.ijres.net

To cite this article:

Punzalan, C. H. (2022). STEM interests and future career perspectives of junior high school
students: A gender study. International Journal of Research in Education and Science
(IJRES), 8(1), 93-102. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.2537

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 International Journal of Research in Education and Science
2022, Vol. 8, No. 1, 93-102 https://doi.org/10.46328/ijres.2537

STEM Interests and Future Career Perspectives of Junior High School

Students: A Gender Study

Christopher H. Punzalan

Article Info Abstract

Article History Career choice and subject interests coincide as two significant factors for
Received: students to become driven in pursuing their academic and professional pathways.
01 August 2021
Though, literature studies revealed gender disparities in selecting educational
Accepted:
tracks among students especially in the field of STEM. Hence, this study
19 November 2021
intended to analyze the gender differences in STEM interests and future career
perspectives (FCP); and the relationships of FCP constructs, and of personal
value and enjoyment. The participants were 334 junior high school students in
Keywords
the Philippines with 212 girls and 122 boys using non-random sampling. This
STEM interests
study adapted the validated survey instruments from pertinent literatures to
Future career perspectives
Gender study examine the variables. Based on the findings, there were no significant
Junior high school differences between and within the students’ STEM interests and FCP in terms
of gender. Both boys and girls have moderate interests in all STEM subjects
except from trigonometry where boys have low interest. Additionally, there were
weak positive correlations between and within the three FCP constructs. In
contrast, a strong positive correlation was found between personal value and
enjoyment. It is recommended that educational programs of schools should
stimulate the STEM interests of junior high school students and improve their
career guidance curricula.

Introduction

Career choice and subject interests coincide as two significant factors for students to become positively driven
in pursuing their academic and professional pathways. Though, literature studies revealed gender disparities in
selecting educational tracks among students especially in the field of STEM. Majority of the STEM population
in different industries is dominated by male as this area of interest requires skills commonly observed from
them. While other professions in STEM field constitute some females like health sciences, it is still evident that
most of the practitioners hold a superior position showing that a small number of females are determined to lead
the area of study. Females still continue to be underrepresented in the field of math around STEM even though
the gender gap in math performance has lessened in recent years (Wang & Degol, 2017). Looking back at the
experiences of STEM professionals while they were in high school, teachers’ strategies on how they were taught
and other contributary factors exhibited pieces of evidence to assert that it affected their interests to pursue
STEM careers in the future.

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Women under involvement in careers related to math and sciences have been an argument from different
theories which proves that there is an irregularity when it comes to female representation across STEM fields. It
is a need to address the issue in cultural stereotypes that discourage the women to pursue a STEM career
because of the traditional domination by men (Zhang, Schmader & Forbes, 2009; Wegemer & Eccles, 2019).
Su and Rounds (2015) supported that in the field of social sciences women are overrepresented, on the other
hand, constituting only a small fraction in engineering workforce. Their study found patterns of gender
differences in interests because of people-orientation and things-orientation of work environments which were
not related with the required level of quantitative ability.

STEM Interests and Career Pathway among College Students

Morales, Avilla and Espinosa (2016) explored the gender inequality in K to 12 basic education and its influence
in the interests to pursue a career in science or mathematics teaching. Factors including teacher-student
interaction, teaching strategy, verbal teacher response and instructional materials encouraged the students to
pursue a teaching career in science and mathematics despite the gender inequality that they experienced.
Likewise, Cundiff, Vescio, Loken and Lo (2013) examined that gender stereotype in science was related with
science identification and career aspirations among 1,700 undergraduate science students. The findings of this
study showed that women have stronger gender stereotypes in science but weaker science identification and
career aspirations while men have all stronger gender stereotypes, science identification and career aspirations.

Similarly, Morgan, Isaac and Sansone (2001) explained the gender differences in interest and career choice
through college students’ work and perceived goal affordances of physical/mathematical science careers.
Greater interests for all careers were predicted by interpersonal goal affordances while interests for
physical/mathematical sciences were predicted by high pay and status goal affordances which proved that
interests to careers can positively predict the students’ career choice. Kaleva, Pursiainen, Hakola, Rusanen and
Muukkonen (2019) investigated the students’ reasons for STEM choices and the relationship of mathematics
choice to university admission because of high demand for STEM skills. The study showed that female
dominated the university degree programs in Finland while male conquered the STEM fields with advanced
mathematics as they were attracted by STEM careers. These studies presented that even at collegiate level,
gender differences among STEM programs are extremely manifested that disclose opportunities to expand
educational research concerning gender, career and STEM interests.

Factors Related to Career Plan

Fouad (1995) focused on promoting math and science career awareness through career linking as an intervention
for high school students. The study’s results specified success in high school choice and career knowledge while
moderate success in self-esteem, achievement, and math and science course selection. Also, career pathways can
motivate people to engage and employ mathematical ability for them to pursue a career relevant to STEM.
While underrepresentation in math-intensive STEM fields among females in the US have been determined, the
following factors including cognitive ability, relative cognitive strengths, occupational interests or preferences,

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lifestyle values or work-family balance preferences, field-specific ability beliefs, and gender-related stereotypes
and biases were generated from reviewing relevant articles (Wang & Degol, 2017).

Internal and external factors served as reasons for the gender gaps at all stages of the education system including
the lack of females choosing STEM careers. These factors comprise of self-concept, influence of parents, media
and educators. A study found out that early parental support increased the mathematics performance of males
while no relationship when it comes to science achievement for both genders. Adolescents’ STEM career
interests maybe developed by social identities and self‐ concepts including the friendship groups, personal
motivation, and gender (Ing, 2014; Robnett & Leaper, 2012).

Wang and Degol (2013) also studied the barriers and factors that influence the educational and career choices of
individuals through literature review that center on sociocultural, contextual, biological, and psychological
factors which result to gender differences in STEM interests and choices. Their study aimed to guide future
research to design interventions that will improve individual capability and enthusiasms mostly for females who
are interested to pursue STEM careers but are controlled by stereotypes. Moreover, Koul, Lerdpornkulrat and
Chantara (2011) conducted a study about the relationship between career aspirations and motivations toward
biology and physics, and the influence of gender among secondary school science-math academic stream
students in Thailand. It explained that cultural beliefs about gender is important in career decision-making as
there were gender differences in the motivating factors that influence career ambitions. Students’ interests in
science and math can be influenced positively depending on the strength of their academic motivation, abilities
and capacity to succeed in those subject matters. Though the Engagement, Capacity, and Continuity (ECC)
Trilogy, the sample students of their study possessed a high perceived personal capacity and interest in
participating in engineering and technology activities with the fact that both female and male students would
like to pursue engineering as a career brought by the stimulating activities (Weber, 2012).

STEM Interest and Career Perspectives

Kang, Hense, Scheersoi and Keinonen (2019) elaborated that gender differences in STEM fields and future
career aspirations have connections and were part of a greater literature. Consequently, they examined the
transient period to lower secondary school to determine how the degree of relationships between the factors of
science interest and career perspectives differ between male and female students. Correspondingly, Sadler,
Sonnert, Hazari and Tai (2012) conducted a retrospective cohort study to exemplify how the interests in STEM
career of high school students change. Using the concept of gender differences in career plans, it revealed that
males were more interested to pursue engineering programs while females were attracted to health and medicine
areas which resulted to greater difficulty in encouraging female students to enter STEM careers.

Furthermore, Blotnicky, Franz-Odendaal, French and Joy (2018) studied the relationship between STEM career
knowledge, mathematics self-efficacy, career interests, and career activities on the likelihood of pursuing a
STEM career among middle school students in Atlantic Canada. Results showed that those students who have
higher MSE and STEM career knowledge will probably prefer STEM future plans. Middle schooling can affect

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the desire and ability to pursue STEM careers among students as they start to make choice during this time
(Kang, Hense, Scheersoi & Keinonen, 2019; Sadler, Sonnert, Hazari & Tai, 2012). Hence, they should be
provided with accurate knowledge about STEM careers to help them engage in different related courses of
study. With the use of video interviews of STEM professionals as a method to inform students about STEM
career possibilities, the study found no gender difference in STEM interest among the participants (Wyss,
Heulskamp & Siebert, 2012).

Consequently, Direito, Connolly, Simon and Trevethan (2017) believed that it is very challenging to attract
young students especially females to study and follow science careers. Though, school activities have the
probability to be active in raising students’ interest in science such as those that test expectations about gender
stereotyped careers, that use images of scientists, and that endorse conversation on the rewards in working in
science fields for both girls and boys. On the other hand, Christensen, Knezek and Tyler-Wood (2014) gathered
the attitudinal data from 364 high school students to find out their perceptions of STEM content and careers.
They found that residential students had STEM viewpoint more similar to STEM professionals which is less
similar to traditional students.

There were significant gender differences in perceptions of science and scientists, out-of-school science
experiences, science topics of interest, and characteristics of future jobs among males and females. A study
revealed that there were significant gender differences in those aspects such that males had experiences and
interests with tools, cars and technology while females preferred and had interests with bread-making, planting
seeds, animal communication and weather. Additionally, females found science more difficult to understand
than males who then found science as destructive and dangerous which means that their career aspirations for
being a scientist can be predicted by their knowledge dispositions toward mathematics, science and engineering
(Knezek, Christensen, Tyler-Wood & Gibson, 2015; Jones, Howe & Rua, 2000). Kurbanoğlu and Arslan (2015)
investigated the difference between the 702 high school students’ educational and career interest scores in terms
of gender and grade level using two scales. They found out that there was no significant difference on the
variables based on gender while there was a significant difference based on grade level. Meanwhile, Wang,
Eccles and Kenny (2013) showed a pattern those females having math and verbal ability can have wider choice
of careers including STEM and non-STEM fields as compared with males. The results from 1,490 12th grade
students who participated in the study discovered that individuals, mostly females, with high mathematical
capacity and high verbal skills were less likely to enter STEM careers than those with moderate verbal skills.

This study aimed to strengthen and expand the findings regarding the relationship of future career perspectives
(FCP) and interests in mathematics and sciences among the students. In this regard, it intended to analyze the
self-report responses on the two variables among junior high school students in the Philippines within the school
year 2019-2020. Additionally, it supported the goal to examine the comparison between the male and female
students’ perspectives and interests in the context of gender stereotyping. In specific, this research sought to
study the gender differences in future career perspectives (FCP); interests in STEM subjects; correlations
between and within the FCP constructs; and between personal value and enjoyment.

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Method

The research was participated by 334 junior high school students with 212 girls and 122 boys from different
schools in the Philippines within the school year 2019-2020. This study utilized a descriptive correlational
approach to measure the relationship between the STEM interests and future career perspectives of the
participants based on their self-report responses suing the survey instruments adapted from pertinent literature.
Additionally, using the descriptive quantitative design, the significant differences in variables between female
and male students were analyzed through descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) then followed by t-
test statistical analysis as guided by the p-value. The participants of this study were informed about the purpose
of research during the conduct of data gathering. With the use of online platform, the survey was successfully
directed where the participants have self-reported their responses according to their personal understanding of
the items.

In order to measure the students’ future career perspectives (FCP), a self-report instrument was adapted from
pertinent literatures (Kang, Hense, Scheersoi & Keinonen, 2019; PRiSE scale; Harvard-Smithonian Center for
Astrophysics, 2006; Oh, Jia, Lorentson & LaBanca, 2013), modified and validated by three experts in the fields
of career counselling and STEM education to become suitable in the Philippine context. It consisted of nine
questions divided into three career characteristics – outcome orientation, personal time orientation, and
innovation orientation – related to career aspiration like ‘What do you consider important for career
satisfaction?’ with four-point Likert scale (1. not at all important, 4. very important). In the same way, as
supported by the person-object-theory of interest (Krapp, 2007, 2002), the mathematics and sciences interests of
junior high school students were defined into three subcomponents of individual interest of learning STEM
including personal value, enjoyment, and cognitive aspect. Survey items were related to the three
subcomponents which were adapted from PISA students’ questionnaire (OECD, 2007). Personal value consists
of four items such as ‘I will use science in many ways when I am an adult’ while enjoyment in STEM consists
of three items including ‘I enjoy acquiring new knowledge in science’. Both of these subcomponents have four-
point Likert scale with the response 1. strongly disagree to 4. strongly agree. Lastly, the students’ cognitive
aspect of STEM interest had a single question, ‘How much interest do you have in learning about the following
science topics?’ – seven areas of STEM such as physics, chemistry, biology, earth and space, algebra, geometry,
trigonometry, and statistics – which they answered using a four-point Likert scale 1. no interest to 4. high
interest level.

Results

Based on the self-reports of the participants, the numerical values of their choices from the survey items based
on the scale provided were tabulated and analyzed to meet the study’s objectives. Table 1 presents the gender
differences in students’ FCP and STEM interests with all participants responded in all items. Using the range of
1-4 with corresponding descriptive interpretation, both boys and girls found the cognitive aspect as moderately
interesting which is also the lowest rating among other variables. The students’ future career perspectives –
outcome, personal time, and innovation – were considered important for both boys and girls. Lastly, in personal

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value and enjoyment as part of STEM interests scale, both boys and girls agreed with the items. In terms of the
P-values, there were no significant differences between and within the students’ STEM interests and FCP in
terms of gender. This leads to the fact that both of them have the same viewpoints on these topics. The results
lead to the analysis that both boys and girls aim to become successful in the future as a supervisor or leader who
makes money having lots of time to bond with their friends and family members, and invent things.

Table 1. Gender Differences in Students' FCP and STEM Interests

Girls (N=212) Boys (N=122)
Variable Range P-value
Mean SD DI Mean SD DI
1. Outcome 1-4 2.92 0.94 I 2.90 0.96 I 0.83
2. Personal time 1-4 3.25 0.88 I 3.26 0.88 I 0.91
3. Innovation 1-4 3.19 0.88 I 3.12 0.94 I 0.35
4. Cognitive aspect 1-4 2.82 0.87 MI 2.80 0.91 MI 0.71
5. Personal value 1-4 3.31 0.66 A 3.19 0.78 A 0.08
6. Enjoyment 1-4 3.20 0.70 A 3.16 0.74 A 0.52
* The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.
Note. DI = Descriptive Interpretation, I = Important, MI = Moderate Interest, A = Agree

Table 2 shows the gender differences in students’ interests in STEM subjects. Girls have moderate interests in
all STEM topics in which according to increasing order, trigonometry had the lowest mean then followed by
geometry, algebra, statistics, physics, chemistry, and biology while earth and space had the highest mean.
Moreover, boys have the lowest interest in trigonometry while moderate interests in algebra, geometry,
chemistry, statistics, physics, biology, and earth and space. Trigonometry was considered least while earth and
space as most in terms of STEM subjects’ interests among boys and girls. In summary, both boys and girls have
moderate interests in all STEM subjects except from trigonometry where boys have low interest.

Table 2. Gender Differences in Students' Interest in STEM Subjects

Girls (N=212) Boys (N=122)
Variable Range P-value
Mean SD DI Mean SD DI
1. Physics 1-4 2.81 0.83 MI 2.88 0.82 MI 0.45
2. Chemistry 1-4 2.83 0.83 MI 2.74 0.84 MI 0.33
3. Biology 1-4 3.08 0.83 MI 2.89 0.87 MI 0.06
4. Earth and Space 1-4 3.23 0.83 MI 3.29 0.84 MI 0.56
5. Algebra 1-4 2.68 0.89 MI 2.66 0.96 MI 0.85
6. Geometry 1-4 2.66 0.86 MI 2.70 0.90 MI 0.68
7. Trigonometry 1-4 2.53 0.85 MI 2.44 0.92 LI 0.40
8. Statistics 1-4 2.78 0.85 MI 2.80 0.89 MI 0.90
* The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.
Note. DI = Descriptive Interpretation, MI = Moderate Interest, LI = Low Interest

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In terms of the relationships between and within the three FCP constructs – outcome, personal time, and
innovation, Table 3 shows that all variable items have positive correlations expect from OC1 and PT4 which is a
negligible negative correlation. There were weak positive correlations between and within the three FCP
constructs as grouped. The least positive correlations were found between OC1 and PT2, and OC2 and PT2
which are considered negligible while IV1 and IV had the most positive correlation which is considered very
strong. The results satisfy the fact that the students relate the possibility to become well-known someday to
having a secure job and develop new knowledge and skills.

Table 3. Correlation between and within Three FCP Constructs

Variable OC1 OC2 OC3 OC PT1 PT2 PT3 PT4 PT IV1 IV2 IV
OC1 1.00
OC2 0.26 1.00
OC3 0.21 0.21 1.00
OC 0.72 0.71 0.62 1.00
PT1 0.09 0.10 0.23 0.20 1.00
PT2 0.08 0.08 0.20 0.19 0.45 1.00
PT3 0.19 0.10 0.37 0.31 0.33 0.27 1.00
PT4 -0.01 0.10 0.21 0.14 0.22 0.21 0.21 1.00
PT 0.10 0.12 0.35 0.27 0.72 0.65 0.57 0.69 1.00
IV1 0.18 0.28 0.11 0.27 0.18 0.09 0.09 0.12 0.17 1.00
IV2 0.19 0.24 0.29 0.33 0.31 0.31 0.32 0.10 0.33 0.36 1.00
IV 0.20 0.31 0.23 0.35 0.29 0.21 0.24 0.15 0.29 0.89 0.72 1.00
* Spearman rho’s (ranked) correlation interpretation (Prion & Haerling, 2014): 0.00 to 0.20 = Negligible, 0.21 to
0.40 = Weak, 0.41 to 0.60 = Moderate, 0.61 to 0.80 = Strong, 0.81 to 1.00 = Very Strong
Note. OC = Outcome, PT = Personal Time, IV = Innovation

Finally, Table 4 presents the relationship between personal value and enjoyment as part of the STEM interests
constructs. In contrast to the future career perspectives, a strong positive correlation was found between personal
value and enjoyment. The least correlation value was found between PV and EJ1 which is considered weak
while the most positive correlation was found between EJ2 and EJ with a very strong interpretation. This means
that the students had fun, interested with and enjoy learning math and science while at the same time believed
that these subjects are relevant and useful in their lives as Filipinos.

Table 4. Correlation between Personal Value and Enjoyment

Variable PV1 PV2 PV3 PV4 PV EJ1 EJ2 EJ3 EJ
PV1 1.00
PV2 0.57 1.00
PV3 0.52 0.52 1.00
PV4 0.50 0.46 0.55 1.00
PV 0.80 0.79 0.79 0.78 1.00

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Variable PV1 PV2 PV3 PV4 PV EJ1 EJ2 EJ3 EJ

EJ1 0.39 0.45 0.52 0.35 0.51 1.00
EJ2 0.44 0.54 0.51 0.43 0.58 0.62 1.00
EJ3 0.50 0.55 0.59 0.50 0.64 0.54 0.66 1.00
EJ 0.51 0.60 0.62 0.48 0.67 0.82 0.87 0.86 1.00
* Spearman rho’s (ranked) correlation interpretation (Prion & Haerling, 2014): 0.00 to 0.20 = Negligible, 0.21 to
0.40 = Weak, 0.41 to 0.60 = Moderate, 0.61 to 0.80 = Strong, 0.81 to 1.00 = Very Strong
Note. PV = Personal Value, EJ = Enjoyment

Conclusion

This study pursued to investigate the gender differences in future career perspectives (FCP) and interests in
STEM subjects; and relationships between and within the FCP constructs and between personal value and
enjoyment among the junior high school students in the Philippines. Based on the statistical findings, there were
no significant differences between and within the students’ STEM interests and FCP in terms of gender. Both
boys and girls have moderate interests in all STEM subjects except from trigonometry where boys have low
interest. There were also weak positive correlations between and within the three FCP constructs. While a strong
positive correlation was found between personal value and enjoyment. These findings suggest potential
interventions targeting interests in STEM education to facilitate individuals' ability and career development and
strategies to reform work environments to better retain girls’ interests in STEM subjects and careers in the
Philippines as a developing country in the world. In contrast to the literature review, Kang, Hense, Scheersoi
and Keinonen (2019) found that there were clear gender differences concerning interest and preferences of
science subjects and their relationship towards future career perspectives among lower secondary school
students. Specifically, biology was preferred by females while physics and chemistry were preferred by males.
Students can possibly enhance their interest in pursuing STEM careers once they are exposed to related
activities and programs (Blotnicky, Franz-Odendaal, French & Joy, 2018). It is recommended that the
development of educational activities should embrace the aim to stimulate the STEM interests of Filipino junior
high school students like exposure programs where students can have the opportunity to interview some STEM
experts in the country and abroad and study their working environment. Lastly, basic education institutions
should improve the career guidance curricula especially for those students who will advance to senior high
school program which identifies specializations including the STEM strand and in order for them to become
equipped and prepared in higher education to study appropriate degree programs.

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Author Information
Christopher H. Punzalan
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7030-2571
National University
Manila
Philippines
Contact e-mail: [email protected]

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