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Gender and Socio-Economic Differences in STEM Uptake and Attainment

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  • Emily McDool
  • Damon Morris

Abstract

The underrepresentation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) occupations is a world-wide phenomenon and a concern for policy makers. This is the case in the UK where a shortage of STEM skills is also being encountered. Marked gender imbalances in STEM study in higher education and A-level study and have been widely documented. Gender gaps are also apparent in vocational post-16 education though the existence and causes of these imbalances have, to date, received little attention in existing research and public policy. This paper uses administrative data on a full cohort of school leavers in 2005/06 to explore the extent of gender imbalances in STEM qualifications attempted and achieved in both academic and vocational post-16 education routes in England. We find that gender differentials in the uptake of STEM subjects in vocational qualifications are much starker than they are in A-Levels and that while the roles of ability, socio-economic status and school characteristics in explaining gender differentials differ with the education route taken, their power in explaining these gaps is limited.

Suggested Citation

  • Emily McDool & Damon Morris, 2020. "Gender and Socio-Economic Differences in STEM Uptake and Attainment," CVER Research Papers 029, Centre for Vocational Education Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:cverdp:029
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    File URL: https://cver.lse.ac.uk/textonly/cver/pubs/cverdp029.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Billger, Sherrilyn M., 2009. "On reconstructing school segregation: The efficacy and equity of single-sex schooling," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 393-402, June.
    2. Claudia Hupkau & Sandra McNally & Jenifer Ruiz-Valenzuela & Guglielmo Ventura, 2017. "Post-Compulsory Education in England: Choices and Implications," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 240(1), pages 42-57, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Delaney, Judith M. & Devereux, Paul J., 2021. "High School Rank in Math and English and the Gender Gap in STEM," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    vocational education; STEM; gender;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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