According to a new study, research indicates that girls in the Gen Z generation have a negative outlook on their future success in STEM careers. They not only believe that they will not thrive in the field, but also they feel like they do not belong at all. Per the study, research reveals that despite having similar access to STEM topics in their schools, 85% of boys said that they were interested in STEM topics as opposed to 63% of girls. 

Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation surveyed 2,000 Gen Zers between the ages of 12 to 26-years-old. Among the girls surveyed, 61% of them stated that they “were not interested in a STEM career because they don’t enjoy the topic” and 57% of them didn’t “think they would be good at it.” In comparison, only 38% of boys did not believe they would be successful in the STEM field.

According to Zach Hrynowski, a senior education researcher at Gallup, the difference in behavior might be due to perception. Girls may avoid unfamiliar activities due to fear of judgement, while boys, on the other hand, tend to be overly confident with tasks they’ve never attempted before.

In lieu of the advances in awareness and recruitment of females in STEM studies and careers, Hyrnowski said in an interview with CNBC.com, that these new research results are both “surprising” and “frustrating”.

So, just what can educators and parents do to continue trying to bridge the gender gap in STEM? Well, exposure is key, especially for marginalized or underrepresented groups.

“If you don’t see yourself reflected in the industry, or a mentor who looks like you encouraging you to pursue these careers, young women are opting out and saying, “I don’t want to take a coding class because I don’t think I’d be good at it,” Hyrnowski said.

Enter groups like Girls Who Code, Black Girls Code, Million Women Mentors, and others to help bridge the STEM learning gap.

Hyrnowski states in his interview that the earlier the better it is to matriculate girls into the STEM world. Waiting until they get to college to facilitate exposure is too late.

“College is too late. … “so if you are potentially excluding conservatively half of your college-going population and about half of your workforce, that’s not good as you start to see the number of openings for these emerging technologies expand.”