Ghanaian Girls’ STEM Career Choices: Roles of Academic Performance, Personal Interest, and Socio-Cultural Influences in Three Public Universities

This study explores factors influencing Ghanaian girls’ pursuit of STEM careers at the tertiary level, focusing on academic performance, personal interest, and socio-cultural motivators. Despite global efforts to enhance gender equity in STEM, Ghanaian girls face cultural and educational challenges hindering engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Using Social Cognitive Career Theory and an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study analysed responses from 424 female students at three public universities (University of Education, Winneba; University of Cape Coast; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology). Academic performance in mathematics had a minimal negative influence (2.7% variance), while personal interest significantly predicted STEM career choices (22% variance). Quantitative data highlight job security, career opportunities, and increasing female representation as key motivators. Qualitative insights emphasise personal passion, role model exposure, and resilience against gender stereotypes as critical drivers, though cultural expectations and biases remain deterrents. The study underscores that intrinsic interest, more than academic achievement, drives STEM career decisions. It calls for interventions to nurture early STEM interest, enhance female role models, and create culturally responsive environments to empower girls, promoting gender diversity in Ghana’s STEM workforce.