High-Performing Peers and Female Stem Choices in School

39 Pages Posted: 8 Jul 2019 Last revised: 19 May 2022

See all articles by Pierre Mouganie

Pierre Mouganie

American University of Beirut

Yaojing Wang

Texas A&M University

Abstract

Women have historically been underrepresented in STEM majors and occupations, a gap that has persisted over time. There are concerns that this is related to academic choices made at an earlier age. The purpose of this paper is to examine how social environment affects women's STEM choices as early as high school. Using administrative data from China, we find that exposure to high-performing female peers in mathematics increases the likelihood that women choose a science track during high school, while more high-performing males decrease this likelihood. We also find that peer quality has persistent effects on college outcomes. Overall, there is little evidence of peer effects for boys. Our results suggest that girls doing well in mathematics provide an affirmation effect that encourages female classmates to pursue a STEM track.

Keywords: peer quality, gender peer effects, STEM, China

JEL Classification: I21, I24, I26, J24

Suggested Citation

Mouganie, Pierre and Wang, Yaojing, High-Performing Peers and Female Stem Choices in School. IZA Discussion Paper No. 12455, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3415799

Pierre Mouganie (Contact Author)

American University of Beirut ( email )

Beirut, 0236
Lebanon

Yaojing Wang

Texas A&M University ( email )

Langford Building A
798 Ross St.
College Station, TX 77843-3137
United States

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