New Research Shows Teachers Could Be the Reason For the Gender Gap in STEM Fields

There's no denying that women are notably underrepresented in all STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. But new research from Accenture suggests this gender-based discrepancy may pertain to teachers more than the girls themselves.

In a survey of young people and adults in Ireland, a whopping 57 percent of teachers admitted to making subconscious stereotypes about girls and boys related to STEM subjects. These teachers confessed to encouraging girls to chase after more "girl career paths," such as nursing or teaching. Teachers who responded to the survey also noted that reasons for the lack of girls in STEM fields include that "girls are more influenced by their peers than boys" and a general perception that science-based careers are "a boys' thing" that girls may not succeed in.

Although we can't solely blame teachers for the lack of girls' participation in STEM-related activities, parents can definitely do their part by stepping in to nurture those skills from a young age. Thanks to the plethora of genius STEM toys out there, your young gal could be on the path to an engineering degree in no time.