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Heilemann, Michael ; Schober, Susanne ; Stoeger, Heidrun ; Ziegler, Albert

Extending STEM identity to the institutional level: how organizational identity and efficacy shape gender-inclusive practice in out-of-school education

Heilemann, Michael, Schober, Susanne, Stoeger, Heidrun and Ziegler, Albert (2026) Extending STEM identity to the institutional level: how organizational identity and efficacy shape gender-inclusive practice in out-of-school education. International Journal of STEM Education 13 (5).

Date of publication of this fulltext: 24 Feb 2026 12:26
Article
DOI to cite this document: 10.5283/epub.78723


Abstract

Background: While individual STEM identity and self-efficacy are well-established predictors of girls’ and women’s engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), their conceptual equivalents at the organizational level remain understudied. Out-of-school STEM education providers are key actors in addressing gender disparities; however, little is known about how their ...

Background:
While individual STEM identity and self-efficacy are well-established predictors of girls’ and women’s engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), their conceptual equivalents at the organizational level remain understudied. Out-of-school STEM education providers are key actors in addressing gender disparities; however, little is known about how their institutional values and perceived capacities influence program design and delivery.

Purpose:
Grounded in theories of organizational identity and collective efficacy, this study investigates whether out-of-school STEM providers’ organizational identity and efficacy related to the promotion of females in STEM predict five theoretically derived indicators of program success after controlling for program characteristics.

Methods:
A nationwide survey was conducted among out-of-school STEM education providers in Germany (N = 209). Respondents rated their organization’s identity and efficacy in promoting females in STEM. Outcome measures included inclusive program planning, long-term focus, environmental integration, engagement in networking and professional development, and self-assessed success.

Results:
Organizational identity significantly predicted all five success indicators, with the strongest effect for inclusive program planning and engagement in networking and professional development. Organizational efficacy predicted four of the indicators, with the strongest effect for perceived program success. After controlling for program characteristics, the effects of both constructs remained robust, although slightly weaker, suggesting that contextual factors partly account for their influence.

Conclusions:
This study reveals how organizational-level beliefs shape gender-inclusive practices in STEM education. The findings contribute to research on gender equity in STEM by introducing and validating institutional-level predictors of effective program practice, with practical implications for STEM networks and policy development.



Involved Institutions


Details

Item typeArticle
Journal or Publication TitleInternational Journal of STEM Education
Publisher:Springer
Volume:13
Number of Issue or Book Chapter:5
Date27 January 2026
InstitutionsHuman Sciences > Institut für Bildungswissenschaft > Lehrstuhl für Schulpädagogik (Prof. Dr. Heidrun Stöger)
Human Sciences > Institut für Bildungswissenschaft > Lehrstuhl für Pädagogik
Projects
Funded by: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) (16MKVS1E)
Identification Number
ValueType
10.1186/s40594-026-00595-1DOI
KeywordsSTEM education, Gender equity, Organizational identity, Organizational efficacy, Out-of-school STEM, education
Dewey Decimal Classification300 Social sciences > 370 Education
StatusPublished
RefereedYes, this version has been refereed
Created at the University of RegensburgPartially
URN of the UB Regensburgurn:nbn:de:bvb:355-epub-787231
Item ID78723

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