Science education and gender gap in Spain for 15 year old students. Secondary analyses from PISA 2015

Abstract

Introduction. In many countries women are underrepresented in different STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics areas and, however, are overrepresented in other fields, such as health, psychology or education. There is a consensus, when considering secondary education as a critical stage in which girls begin to distance themselves from science and mathematics. This study mainly proposes to deepen the relationship between the sex variable, the expectations of 15-year-old students of practicing STEM professions and the performance in Science in Spain, and raises some implications for scientific education. Methods. In this work, a distinction has been made between scientific vocations in general and STEM. Differentiated analyses have been carried out, from PISA 2015 data, on the relationship between expectations for the exercise of these professions in students of 15 years of age, performance in Sciences and sex variable. The influence of socioeconomic and cultural level, measured by the ESCS, has been controlled through the corresponding ANCOVAS. These analyses have been carried out at the level of Spain as a whole and of each of its autonomous communities. Results. The main results obtained are: a relatively small gender gap in Science performance, once the effect of ISEC is controlled; a very notable gender gap regarding STEM professional expectations; the association, especially in girls, between STEM professional expectations and Science performance; and the different intensity of the relationship between sex and performance by autonomous community. Discussion. These results have been related to previous evidence and the corresponding recommendations are proposed, particularly in the field of science education in secondary level.