@article{Attoh_Obashoro-John_Quadri_Olowu_Durojaiye_2019, title={Examining the Gender Differentials in the Application for STEM Fields: Findings from the University of Lagos}, volume={7}, url={http://ujh.unilag.edu.ng/article/view/502}, abstractNote={<p>Building on secondary data, this paper seeks to make two contributions to literature.<br>First, to present a description of the sex differentials in course applications into Nigerian<br>universities, using the University of Lagos as a sample and second, to describe the<br>variation in the selection of courses in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering<br>and Mathematics (STEM) by prospective students that are females. Findings showed that<br>female applications for degree programmes were higher than male applications in most<br>fields, including some core science fields which involve human-oriented professions like<br>pharmacology and medicine. Nevertheless, the overall statistics revealed that the<br>proportion of male applicants were fractionally higher during the four sessions under<br>review. The sex differentials were highest in engineering and environmental sciences<br>fields where male applications outnumbered female applications by a ratio of about three<br>to one. Furthermore, female applicants were more likely to choose biological, peopleoriented and care-centred fields, leading to female apathy towards engineering and other<br>technical programmes, especially those with mathematics, physics and geography as core<br>subjects. We, therefore, recommend the development of nationwide programmes aimed at<br>dispelling gendered misconceptions about certain fields, especially STEM fields. This is<br>very essential in a world where science and technology define national economies.<br>Nigeria cannot afford to leave half her population behind.</p&gt;}, number={1}, journal={Unilag Journal of Humanities}, author={Attoh, Franca and Obashoro-John, Yemisi and Quadri, Maryam and Olowu, Femi and Durojaiye, Abimbola}, year={2019}, month={Dec.}, pages={17-33} }