This publication explores the factors that affect
Bangladeshi girls’ achievement in, engagement with and
aspirations in science, technology, engineering and maths subject
areas.
The research found:
Misperceptions of STEM: Bangladeshi women are
an under-represented group in occupations in science, engineering
and technology, yet this study found no evidence that Bangladeshi
girls are under-achieving. The researchers found that one of the
main reasons for under-representation is that science and maths are
perceived as necessary only for careers in restricted fields such
as medicine, accountancy or finance.
Misperceptions of Bangladeshi cultural
identities: The researchers found that teachers make
assumptions based on fixed notions of Bangladeshi culture and
identity, for example, they are unaware of the range of ambitions
among Bangladeshi girls, and rely on outdated ideas about the
futures that girls aspire to. They recommend a need to be more open
to the ways in which Bangladeshi cultural identities are
changing.