Earlier this year, Microsoft published a piece of ground-breaking research which showed that in Europe, many girls lose interest in STEM subjects around the age of 15.
The research – which involved a survey of 11,500 women between the ages of 11 and 30 across 12 countries in Europe – brought to light some key findings, and in doing so, highlighted areas of concern, while sparking a discussion as to how we can get more girls and young women interested in pursuing STEM subjects – a deep dive call discussing this research and the motivation behind it can be found further down below.
Some of the insights gained from the research show that a lack of female role models is one main reason why many girls don’t pursue a career in the sector, alongside a lack of practical, hands-on experience with STEM subjects.
Young girls also tend to engage with STEM subjects at the age of 11.5, but after their interest has been lost, it’s almost impossible to reignite their passion – a key finding which identifies a crucial area to address.
The research and its impact are discussed in the below presentation which delves into the study, and what can be done going forward, using programmes such as Microsoft’s recently announced STEM school pilot project.
For more information, and to download the white paper, please visit the original Girls in STEM research post.
