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High-Performing Peers and Female STEM Choices in School

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  • Mouganie, Pierre

    (Simon Fraser University)

  • Wang, Yaojing

    (Peking University)

Abstract

Women have historically been underrepresented in STEM majors and occupations, a gap that has persisted over time. There are concerns that this is related to academic choices made at an earlier age. The purpose of this paper is to examine how social environment affects women's STEM choices as early as high school. Using administrative data from China, we find that exposure to high-performing female peers in mathematics increases the likelihood that women choose a science track during high school, while more high-performing males decrease this likelihood. We also find that peer quality has persistent effects on college outcomes. Overall, there is little evidence of peer effects for boys. Our results suggest that girls doing well in mathematics provide an affirmation effect that encourages female classmates to pursue a STEM track.

Suggested Citation

  • Mouganie, Pierre & Wang, Yaojing, 2019. "High-Performing Peers and Female STEM Choices in School," IZA Discussion Papers 12455, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12455
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    peer quality; gender peer effects; STEM; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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