The DOI matches its Crossref record; 391 of the 396 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Motivational pathways to STEM career choices: Using expectancy–value perspective to understand individual and gender differences in STEM fields
Open accessAbstract
The United States has made a significant effort and investment in STEM education, yet the size and the composition of the STEM workforce continues to fail to meet demand. It is thus important to understand the barriers and factors that influence individual educational and career choices. In this article, we conduct a literature review of the current knowledge surrounding individual and gender differences in STEM educational and career choices, using expectancy-value theory as a guiding framework. The overarching goal of this paper is to provide both a well-defined theoretical framework and complementary empirical evidence for linking specific sociocultural, contextual, biological, and psychological factors to individual and gender differences in STEM interests and choices. Knowledge gained through this review will eventually guide future research and interventions designed to enhance individual motivation and capacity to pursue STEM careers, particularly for females who are interested in STEM but may be constrained by misinformation or stereotypes.
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“Prior research supports that primary students in these grades are particularly receptive to hands-on, project-based learning, which can significantly influence their self-beliefs in science, technology, and design (Wang & Degol, 2013).”
From Fostering students’ motivation and self-efficacy in science, technology, engineering, and design through design thinking and making in project-based learning: a gender-perspective study in primary education (2025) · cites this paper as Wang & Degol, 2013
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Why are some STEM fields more gender balanced than others?
Cheryan, S., Ziegler, S. A., Montoya, A. K., & Jiang, L. (2017) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000052 · Cited by 1,259
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Self-citationThe Gender-Equality Paradox in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education
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A meta-analysis of the relation between math anxiety and math achievement
Barroso, C., Ganley, C. M., McGraw, A. L., Geer, E. A., Hart, S. A., & Daucourt, M. C. (2021) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000307 · Cited by 614
The Math and Science Engagement Scales: Scale development, validation, and psychometric properties
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Metadata
- Authors
- Wang, M.-T., & Degol, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Corresponding author
- Wang, Ming-Te
- Venue
- Developmental Review
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-12
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 304-340
- ISSN
- 0273-2297 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3843492
- OpenAlex
- W1971294185
- Semantic Scholar
- 58a86789a21fce2b4032b86f088a2479f7bd2760
- Cited by
- 837
- References
- 396
- Citations by year
- 2026: 73 · 2025: 75 · 2024: 91 · 2023: 79 · 2022: 98 · 2021: 72 · 2020: 104 · 2019: 81 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 9
- FWCI
- 58.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Developmental Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R03HD074731)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Career Development and Diversity
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Science Education and Perceptions
- Keywords
- STEM career choice, gender differences, expectancy-value theory, motivation, STEM workforce, gender stereotypes, women in STEM, educational choice, sociocultural factors, biological factors, psychological factors
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