Chapter 18: Addressing the Stem Gender Gap in Trinidad and Tobago

The global technological demands of the 21st century call for the preparation of a diverse and committed body of students geared toward preparing a diverse and committed workforce within the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). High school girls of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) have consistently demonstrated strong academic achievements in STEM subjects. Despite this known reality, there remains a concerning gender disparity in STEM pursuits postsecondary school—a notable underrepresentation of females in STEM majors at the tertiary level. Notwithstanding this is a shared actuality in other parts of the world, the T&T sociocultural and sociopolitical landscape present its own peculiarities that inform this phenomenon. This chapter reports on the review of research as it relates to STEM and gender in T&T education, discusses the underpinnings of the present T&T landscape in this area of research, and presents a conceptual framework that is guided by key findings of the review to encourage STEM motivation in high school girls of T&T.