Science Identity Predicts Science Career Aspiration Across Gender and Race, but Especially for Boys

Abstract

A recent approach to studying gender and race inequalities in science examines science identity: how strongly one associates themselves and identifies with the field of science.& Since adolescence is an important time for identity development and when science disparities begin to emerge, we investigated how gender and race relate to science identity and science career aspirations. A series of multinomial linear regressions applied to a dataset of diverse seventh and ninth graders from urban schools in the United States (n = 300) found that science identity was differentially associated career aspiration based on gender. In particular, science identity did not fully counteract gender disparities in science career aspiration: girls with a high science identity were not as likely as boys to aspire toward a science career. By contrast, students who are black with a high science identity were equally likely to aspire toward a science career as their white peers. The moderated relationship by gender goes against findings among postsecondary students suggesting that science identity can completely offset gender differences in science outcomes.& Therefore, these findings present opportunities for future study examining how gendered and racial factors influence science identity and career aspiration.