The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same? Prior Achievement Fails to Explain Gender Inequality in Entry Into STEM College Majors Over Time Article

Riegle-Crumb, C, King, B, Grodsky, E et al. (2012). The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same? Prior Achievement Fails to Explain Gender Inequality in Entry Into STEM College Majors Over Time . AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL, 49(6), 1048-1073. 10.3102/0002831211435229

cited authors

  • Riegle-Crumb, C; King, B; Grodsky, E; Muller, C

authors

abstract

  • This article investigates the empirical basis for often-repeated arguments that gender differences in entrance into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors are largely explained by disparities in prior achievement. Analyses use data from three national cohorts of college matriculates across three decades to consider differences across several indicators of high school math and science achievement at the mean and also at the top of the test distribution. Analyses also examine the different comparative advantages men and women enjoy in math/science versus English/reading. Regardless of how prior achievement is measured, very little of the strong and persistent gender gap in physical science and engineering majors over time is explained. Findings highlight the limitations of theories focusing on gender differences in skills and suggest directions for future research. © 2012 AERA.

publication date

  • January 1, 2012

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 1048

end page

  • 1073

volume

  • 49

issue

  • 6