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This study attempts to identify determinants of the gender gap in science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET) students' levels of self-confidence in math, science, and overall academic ability. Results from multivariate regression analyses of 336 undergraduate engineering majors at the University of Washington (UW) who completed the Engineering Student Experience Survey point to perceived respect from professors as the strongest determinant of female academic self-confidence, whereas the perceived quality of teaching is the strongest predictor among male students. Results from multivariate regression analyses of the Undergraduate Retention Study, a longitudinal study of nine cohorts of female undergraduates interested in SMET study at UW, support the finding that female students' selfconfidence levels tend more than those of male students to be influenced by external factors. Analyses also reveal the determinants of math self-confidence to be different from factors that determine science self-confidence. These factors are found to vary by class level as well.
Huang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.