The impact of interest congruence on females’ and male study progress in STEM subjects

德国和其他欧洲国家一样，面临着STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）劳动力短缺的问题。尽管做出了许多努力，但STEM毕业生的数量仍然很低。造成这一现象的两个方面是，在STEM学科中女性人数很少，以及在大学中辍学STEM学科的学生人数过高。拟议的项目从职业兴趣的角度出发，对这两个方面进行了深入研究。根据霍兰德的RIASEC模型和经验证据，个人的职业兴趣及其与职业环境的适应性（一致性）是有助于职业选择和持久性的重要因素。然而，还有一些方面可能会损害基于兴趣的职业选择，例如职业的性别类型，这可能会阻碍女性选择STEM学科，或者可能会鼓励一致性降低的男性选择STEM职业的声望。值得注意的是，以前的学习经验，特别是在学校的数学也被视为坚持STEM研究的先决条件。然而，缺乏证据表明这些方面的相互依赖性，特别是从纵向的角度来看。该项目提出了一个渐进的方法，以获得更深入的知识，持久性和成果的STEM学生。它从（a）兴趣一致性的预测质量开始，（B）在学习期间跟踪其发展，（c）考虑妥协方面，以及（d）根据社会认知职业理论的个人因素，以便能够区分（e）成功和挣扎的STEM学生的潜在概况。该项目考虑了STEM领域之间差异的证据，因此特别关注女性比例较低的STEM领域（STEM-L）。然而，为了揭示这些领域的特殊性，它将它们与其他STEM和非STEM领域区分开来。因此，该项目侧重于STEM学生特有的因素（与其他学科领域相比），并进一步确定了STEM学生的具体概况及其纵向沿着学习过程直到进入劳动力市场的轨迹。该项目分析了NEPS数据（国家教育小组研究）从2010年到现在的18，000名一年级学生开始的队列5（SC 5）。目前的11人潮已经包括了完成硕士学位并进入劳动力市场的学生。专注于这些学生的持久性和成果，这项研究通过提供职业道路和保留STEM的独特模型，有助于科学进步。它通过完善学生职业咨询的证据，进一步促进社会发展。这也解决了更有针对性的支持措施的社会政治影响，以增加STEM中的女性比例。

Germany, as well as other European countries, faces shortages in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce. Despite many efforts, the number of STEM graduates is still low. Two aspects that contribute to this phenomenon are the low numbers of females in STEM subjects as well as the comparably high number of students dropping out of STEM subjects at university. The project proposed delves into both aspects starting from a perspective of occupational interests. According to Holland’s RIASEC model and empirical evidence, an individual’s occupational interests and their fit to an occupational environment (congruence) are important factors contributing to career choices and persistence. However, there are further aspects that may compromise an interest-based career choice, e.g. the sex-typing of an occupation, which may discourage females choosing a STEM subject, or the prestige that may encourage males with a diminished congruence to choose a STEM career anyway. Of note, prior learning experiences, especially mathematics at school are also seen as prerequisite for persisting in STEM studies. However, evidence is missing about the interdependency of these aspects, especially from a longitudinal perspective.The project proposed applies a progressive approach for gaining more profound knowledge about persistence and outcomes of STEM students. It starts with (a) the predictive quality of interest congruence, (b) follows its development during study, (c) considers compromising aspects, and (d) personal factors according to the social cognitive career theory for being able to distinguish (e) latent profiles of successful and struggling STEM students. The project considers evidence about differences between the STEM fields and therefore particularly focuses on STEM fields with a low proportion of females (STEM-L). However, for revealing peculiarities of these fields it distinguishes them from other STEM, and non-STEM, areas. Thus, the project focuses on factors that are specific to students in STEM (in contrast to other subject areas) and furthermore identifies specific profiles of students in STEM and their trajectory longitudinally along the course of study until entering the labor market. This project analyzes NEPS data (National Educational Panel Study) Starting Cohort 5 (SC5) that follows 18,000 first-year students from 2010 until now. The current wave 11 already includes students that finished their master’s degree and entered the labor market. Focusing on persistence and outcomes of these students, this research contributes to scientific advancement by providing distinguishing models for career path and retention in STEM. It further contributes to societal development by refining evidence for students’ career counselling. This also addresses sociopolitical impacts for more focused support measures to increase the proportion of females in STEM.