Knowledge gaps and gender differences in adolescents’ education choices – new study explores what makes a difference
Since its launch in 2023, the research project Bättre Utbildningsval (Better Education Choices) has involved nearly 2,000 ninth-grade students across 42 schools in Sweden. The first results are now being presented, mapping how factors like gender stereotypes, access to information, and encounters with role models can shape young people’s career decisions.
Despite Sweden’s reputation as one of the world’s most gender-equal countries, clear gender differences remain in educational choices—especially in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Women are still underrepresented in higher STEM education, and the Swedish government recently launched a new strategy to reverse the trend.
“We’re already seeing clear gender differences in the preferences of Swedish high school students,” says Karl Wennberg, professor at the 91Ô´´ and lead researcher of the study. “The boys tend to favor traditionally male-dominated fields and professions, while the girls are more evenly distributed but still underrepresented in STEM. At the same time, many students overestimate the salary levels of electricians and real estate agents, while underestimating the career opportunities in fields like IT.”
In the study, school classes are randomly assigned to one of three groups: one receives visits from working professionals as role models, another gets information from their school counselor, and the third answers a quiz about current events. This setup allows researchers to isolate which interventions actually influence students’ choices.
More schools and professionals needed
“Our goal is to give all students better tools to make informed decisions about their future,” says Ali Mohammadi, a researcher on the project from Copenhagen Business School.
“To achieve that, we need more schools to participate and more professionals across the country who are willing to share their experiences.”
Among the students surveyed so far, 31 percent of boys and 20 percent of girls say they plan to study science, technology, computing, or mathematics in the future. Both genders rank “social sciences, law, business, and administration” as the most attractive educational path, while “technology and manufacturing” is dominated by boys and “healthcare” by girls.
The project is funded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Kamprad Family Foundation, and is conducted in collaboration with researchers from Copenhagen Business School, Lund University, the University of Kiel, and Stockholm University.
