Interest in STEM Careers: A Comparative Study of Indonesian and Malaysian Students

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-390-0_47How to use a DOI?

Keywords

21st-Century Skills; Career Interest; Education; Gender Differences; STEM

Abstract

STEM education is crucial for equipping students with 21st-century skills. This study investigates differences in STEM career interest between students in Indonesia and Malaysia, focusing on gender and educational experiences. A descriptive quantitative method was employed using a case study approach, involving 389 students majoring in Mathematics and Natural Sciences from four universities: Universitas Sriwijaya (UNSRI), Universitas Lampung (UNILA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). Data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques. The findings reveal that Malaysian students have a more positive perception of STEM careers than Indonesian students, reflected in higher interest levels, greater awareness of STEM's importance, and a stronger belief in STEM fields’ superiority. Gender-based differences were also found, with male students generally showing more interest in STEM careers. However, Malaysian female students exhibited greater interest in STEM compared to their Indonesian counterparts. These results highlight the need for Indonesia to strengthen its STEM education programs and address gender disparities in STEM career interest.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Ismet Ismet
AU  - Tatang Suhery
AU  - Ida Sriyanti
AU  - Ketang Wiyono
AU  - Kodri Madang
AU  - Masagus Mhd Tibrani
AU  - Diah Kartika Sari
AU  - Hapizah Hapizah
AU  - Weni Dwi Pratiwi
AU  - Mardiah Afifa
AU  - Fitri Rahmadhani
AU  - Nor Farahwahidah
AU  - Viyanti Viyanti
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/05/14
TI  - Interest in STEM Careers: A Comparative Study of Indonesian and Malaysian Students
BT  - Proceedings of the 6th Sriwijaya University Learning and Education International Conference 2024 (SULE-IC 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 574
EP  - 582
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-390-0_47
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-390-0_47
ID  - Ismet2025
ER  -