PROJECT TYPE:

Institutional Research Project

PROJECT DURATION:

October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2029

PROJECT LEADER AND TEAM MEMBERS:

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marina Diković – Project Leader
• Assist. Prof. Dr. Irena Kiss – Researcher
• Dr. Branka Antunović, Senior Assistant – Researcher
• Assist. Prof. Dr. Alen Tafra – Researcher
• Monika Terlević, Assistant – Researcher
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nicoletta Saulig – Researcher
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alena Letina – Researcher
• Full Prof. DDr. Sanela Nesimović – Researcher
• Assist. Prof. Dr. Sanela Hudovernik – Researcher

PROJECT SUMMARY 

The institutional research project Gender Equality in STEM Education and Career Opportunities (STEM EQUAL) examines gender equality as a social phenomenon that has gained increasing relevance in view of the complex and evolving social roles of women. The project focuses on understanding gender equality within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education. It involves participants from multiple educational levels, including primary and secondary school students and teachers, university teachers and students enrolled in STEM programs. 

The methodology involves a comparison of cross-sectional studies conducted at the beginning and end of the four-year period, employing a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, including document analysis, questionnaires, focus groups, and interviews. This approach will enable the examination of differences in opinions, interest in STEM, participants’ perceptions of gender equality, self-assessment of abilities, as well as expectations and the extent of environmental support for their prospective engagement in STEM. The project will further explore academic interests in STEM fields and mechanisms of support in instances of discrimination and microaggression.

The scientific contribution of the research lies in developing new educational models across all levels of teaching and learning aimed at promoting gender equality in STEM, thereby contributing to a more balanced representation of genders in employment within this sector. The project also aims to highlight the ethical dimension of gender equality and to propose a critical review of its practical implementation through an interdisciplinary study of social expectations, educational practices, and media representations of women in STEM.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES 

The aim of the project is to investigate the factors influencing gender equality in the STEM field across all educational levels, media representation, and the labor market, with the goal of developing recommendations to enhance the participation and success of girls and women in STEM.

In addition to the main objective, the specific objectives of the project, which will be implemented in three countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia), are as follows:

1. To examine legal frameworks, policies, and practices concerning gender equality in STEM education and employment.
2. To identify differences between female and male students in primary and secondary schools regarding their perceptions of gender roles, interest in STEM, self-assessment of competencies, expectations, and the level of social and institutional support for their prospective engagement in STEM fields.
3. To analyze teachers’ perceptions of female students’ interests, abilities, and potential for STEM careers, as well as their teaching practices regarding gender equality.
4. To investigate the academic pathways of female STEM students with emphasis on their motivations, barriers, experiences of discrimination and microaggression, and the significance of role models and support systems.
5. To analyze social expectations and media representations of women in STEM, including public attitudes and the influence of media content on perceptions of women’s roles in science and technology.
6. To identify emerging factors that contribute to the promotion of gender equality and propose innovative educational models that encourage critical reflection on gender-related issues within STEM education and professional practice.

PROJECT HOLDER: Juraj Dobrila University of Pula