Gender Socialisation, Career Self-Efficacy, and STEM Participation Among Adolescent Girls in Northern Nigeria: A Multi-Site Study

This study examines the relationships among gender socialisation processes, career self-efficacy beliefs, and STEM participation intentions among adolescent girls in northern Nigeria, using a multi-site design spanning Kano, Sokoto, and Borno states. Nigeria's persistent gender gap in STEM education and careers is particularly pronounced in the north, where cultural, religious, and structural factors interact to shape girls' educational aspirations and occupational expectations. This research employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. A quantitative survey involving 680 female students in SS1 to SS3 collected data on gender role attitudes, career self-efficacy, STEM outcome expectations, and school STEM participation using Bandura-derived instruments adapted for the northern Nigerian context. In-depth interviews with 45 girls, parents, and female STEM role models provided qualitative explication of survey findings. Structural equation modelling tested a social cognitive career theory model. Results indicate that gender-restrictive socialisation significantly suppresses STEM career self-efficacy through reduced outcome expectations and weak STEM identity. However, female role model exposure and supportive teacher behaviour significantly buffered these effects. Parental educational aspirations for daughters were the strongest family-level predictor of STEM self-efficacy. The study provides original structural modelling evidence for the socialisation pathways limiting girls' STEM development in northern Nigeria and recommends gender-transformative school and community interventions. Keywords: gender socialisation, career self-efficacy, STEM participation, adolescent girls, northern Nigeria.