Fostering Sustainable Female Participation in STEM Through Ecological Systems Theory: A Comparative Study in Three African Countries

Olusiji Adebola Lasekan (), Margot Teresa Godoy Pena (), Adeyinka John Odebode, Alfredo Pedro Mabica, Raul Abílio Mabasso and Oluwatosin Mogbadunade
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Olusiji Adebola Lasekan: Departamento de Educación e Innovación, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Margot Teresa Godoy Pena: Languages Coordination, Dirección de Trayectoria Formativa, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco 4780000, Chile
Adeyinka John Odebode: Department of Basic Science, Kampala International University, Western Campus, Bushenyi P.O. Box 20000, Uganda
Alfredo Pedro Mabica: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Pedagogical University of Maputo, Maputo 1100, Mozambique
Raul Abílio Mabasso: Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Mato Grosso State University, Cáceres 78217-900, Brazil
Oluwatosin Mogbadunade: Department of Education Foundations, University of Lagos, Akoka 100213, Nigeria

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-23

Abstract: This study explores factors influencing female engagement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Uganda through Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. The research collected qualitative data from 81 women across these countries through open-ended surveys. Using content analysis, the results demonstrate the critical role of personal interests nurtured by family, showing how direct interactions with family influence STEM engagement at a microsystem level. The mesosystem level reveals the supportive influence of community and school interactions, emphasizing the importance of relationships between different microsystems, such as family–school collaborations, in fostering female participation in STEM. The exosystem level identifies the impact of positive media portrayals and role models, illustrating how external environments indirectly affect perceptions and aspirations in STEM through media and societal influences. The macrosystem level underscores the persistent cultural norms shaping gender roles, reflecting broader societal and cultural values that influence gender diversity in STEM fields, with 63% of respondents in Mozambique, 57% in Nigeria, and 67% in Uganda indicating that societal views on gender roles discouraged participation. Lastly, the chronosystem level captures the temporal changes and progress in gender diversity in STEM, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and policy reforms to address longstanding gender imbalances. Despite progress, significant gender imbalances remain, necessitating targeted interventions and policy reforms. The study proposes a sustainable, collaborative model to foster early interest and sustained participation of females in STEM, emphasizing the importance of seamless cooperation among families, educational institutions, communities, and government bodies. The findings aid in creating supportive environments for sustaining female STEM participation, promoting economic and social development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Keywords: STEM; ecological systems theory; gender diversity; Sub-Saharan Africa; women (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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