A0597
Title: Exploring factors affecting gender gap in university student performance
Authors: Marialuisa Restaino - University of Salerno (Italy) [presenting]
Michele La Rocca - University of Salerno (Italy)
Marcella Niglio - University of Salerno (Italy)
Maria Prosperina Vitale - University of Salerno (Italy)
Abstract: In recent years, exploring the determinants that may influence students' achievement in higher education has received much attention. Empirical studies have found that the most important factors affecting student performance are socio-demographic characteristics and attitudes, family context, results obtained at high school, social interactions among peers, and geographical areas. The contribution investigates the differences in students' performances attending a degree program in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by using statistical models to mainly capture the presence of a gender gap. University performance is measured by the number of ECTS credits students earn during the first year, which represents an important stage of their career path. Starting from a cohort of students enrolled at STEM degree programs in Italian universities, the main purposes are to estimate the probability of getting at least a certain number of credits at the end of the first year as well as to capture if there are any differences in performance between male and female investigating the factors affecting these results. Secondary data obtained from the National Student Archive are used to perform statistical models that capture the effect of contextual and individual factors on student performance.
