The Role of Women Self-Esteem in Stem Career Paths

Evaluating the features of professional choice in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). This identifies the importance of attracting and recruiting women to work in these areas, which will contribute to reduce the gender gap, economic and social development. Self-concept takes part in choosing women’s career trajectory as multifactor concept. There were identified factors, which are most related to career in STEM: mathematical, verbal, appearance, communication with representatives of same and the opposite person. A total of 532 women who had STEM education, working and not working in the area related to the major, and humanity education. The questionnaire "Multifactor self-concept of personality" was developed, it has acceptable psychometric characteristics and no claims in differential functioning. The level of self-concept on the factors shows significant differences between women educated in the humanities and in STEM fields. For example, women with STEM education have higher level of "Mathematical self-concept" and lower level of "Verbal self-concept". At the same time, similar results were obtained for women with education STEM fields, working and not working according to the acquired specialty. The results of the present study call for further research in this area, which investigates the predictors of women's career choice in STEM fields (stereotypes about STEM career and motivation).