Gender Equity in STEAM Education: Evidence from Lower Secondary Students in Portugal

Equity in science education remains a pressing global challenge, as persistent gender disparities continue to shape students’ participation, motivation, and career aspirations in STEM fields. This study examines whether a curriculum-integrated STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) subject, implemented in a Portuguese private school with 82 lower secondary students (seventh and eighth grade), is associated with equitable engagement among boys and girls. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining Likert-scale questionnaires with classroom observations. While qualitative data provided contextual insight into students’ overall participation and engagement in hands-on and creative activities, gender-related comparisons were based exclusively on quantitative questionnaire responses. Inferential analyses revealed no significant differences between boys and girls in their perceptions of the STEAM subject, their engagement with the activities, or their perceived skill development. These findings suggest that the design of practical, student-centred STEAM experiences may support comparable participation and engagement among involvement of both boys and girls. The results highlight the importance of curriculum design and pedagogical approaches as key factors in promoting more inclusive science education, with implications for policy and practice aimed at engaging all learners in science.