Gender Differences in Math and Science Likes and Preferences

The purpose of this dissertation is to discover how the myth of gender differences
in STEM inform the lived experiences of male and female 12th graders in one high school
in Northwest Ohio. Over the years, the observed gender gap favoring males over females
in STEM ability has closed, and female students have even surpassed males in some
measures. The fact that girls have met and exceeded boys in many measures of STEM
ability over time suggests that the historical disparity was the result of social or
psychological, and not biological, differences. Even though schools have changed
throughout the years to accommodate and encourage female students in STEM, there is
still a persistent disparity in participation at the highest levels of STEM in education and
in careers. Males still outnumber females in the more mathematical and technical
sciences, such as computer science and engineering. This study applied feminist
socialization theory and phenomenology as its theoretical framework. The biggest themes
that informed student's choices and preferences were as follows: intended choices follow
family influence, myth persists in subtle ways, teenagers have a limited future view, and
the chicken and the egg issues of personal interests versus social influence. There are