The complicated truth about gender stereotypes in STEM

Not all gender stereotypes about science, technology, engineering, and math are the same, according to a new study.

The research analyzed dozens of previous studies on the beliefs that children hold about gender and STEM. One common assumption is that kids view girls as bad at math, a perception that many educational initiatives try to counter.

But, surprisingly, the researchers found that math stereotypes are far less gendered than assumptions suggest.

In fact, children show far less male bias about math. Instead, kids tend to believe that girls are worse at engineering and computer science than boys, and develop such stereotypes as early as six.

Dr. David I. Miller, the study’s lead author, said the finding should affect the way experts and educators try to reduce gender stereotypes in STEM in and out of the classroom.

Miller, a senior researcher in STEM education at the American Institutes for Research, noted that negative stereotypes about what girls can accomplish in engineering and computer science can deter them from entering the fields at a time when technology, science, and culture are transforming the world.

“Programs that are focused in girls in STEM broadly might benefit from a really targeted focus on computing and engineering,” Miller said, “given the importance of how that might shape girls’ later trajectories, in terms of who goes into emerging tech fields, like artificial intelligence.”

Miller said it was also important to better understand how children as young as six develop nuanced beliefs about gender stereotypes in different STEM fields.

For some children, that may happen by accident. Miller and his co-authors noted that in research conducted in English-speaking countries, some young children confuse the term engineer and engineering with the word engine, thus associating the latter professions with the male-dominated field of auto mechanics.

But Miller also said that children may absorb media coverage and popular culture representations of male tech billionaires, leaving them with the false impression that girls and women aren’t interested in or competent in engineering and computer science.

Miller said correcting those stereotypes over time might require universal classroom exposure to computer science and engineering, rather than making them optional or accessible only through extracurricular programs.

Dr. Allison Master, an assistant professor at the University of Houston who studies gender stereotypes in STEM, said the new research paints a clearer picture of how children “see the world.” Master was not involved in Miller’s study.

She noted that it’s important to recognize that not all six-year-olds have STEM stereotypes. Yet Master is aware of how damaging stereotypes can be; her own research focuses on how they can become “self-fulfilling prophecies” for kids.

Master said that parents and educators should evaluate their own stereotypes, mindful that their words or actions may send the message, unintentionally or not, that STEM isn’t for girls.

She added that general language about boys and girls can reinforce stereotypes. Qualifying language by saying “some girls” or “lots of boys” can help children avoid overgeneralizing about their own abilities.

“Stereotypes can change the way girls see themselves,” Master said in an email. “Stereotypes can make girls doubt their own ability and belonging, so they choose to avoid STEM opportunities.”