Students¿ Intention to Leave STEM Careers: Gender and Academic Scholarship Impact Chapter in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers are crucial for economic and technological progress. However, retaining students in these disciplines remains a significant challenge, especially in Latin American countries. This study aims to determine the impact of gender and academic scholarship on the intention to leave STEM careers. The study involved 945 students between 18 and 23 years old from a private Mexican university. We implemented the intention-to-leave scale and performed descriptive statistical and independent samples t-test analyses. The results revealed low intention to leave STEM careers, with a mean of 1.69 on a scale of 1 to 5, with no statistical significance by gender. However, an academic scholarship resulted in significant differences. Students without scholarships showed a higher intention to leave STEM careers than those with scholarships. Specifically, men without scholarships had a mean intention to leave of 1.86 compared to 1.65 for men with scholarships (t¿=¿¿2.59, p¿=¿.010). Moreover, among women, those without scholarships had a mean of 1.79 compared to 1.56 for women with scholarships (t¿=¿¿2.21, p¿=¿.019). These findings underscore the importance of academic scholarships in retaining students in STEM careers, suggesting that financial support is a decisive factor in reducing the intention to leave, regardless of gender. Therefore, to encourage persistence, it is crucial to implement educational policies that guarantee equitable access to scholarships and other forms of financial support. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.

publication date

  • January 1, 2025