Education is one of the most important factors in the development of individuals and society. There are people who are not able to get basic or higher education. Many social constraints prevent people from getting an education. Gender stereotypes are one of the social constraints that make education a dream for many people. Gender stereotypes overgeneralize people's characteristics and behaviour based on gender. Stereotypes help people categorize things and simplify daily activities and the cognitive process. Society differentiates between male and female characteristics with clear boundaries. Therefore, people are expected to behave in a way that is appropriate for their gender. Sometimes, people are prevented from achieving their dreams due to gender bias in society because, according to the norms of society, some situations are not suitable for each gender. It is unjust when certain individuals are denied education due to gender bias. Gender stereotypes have an unconscious effect on the decision (of women and men) to study at a particular university.For example, gender stereotypes partly explain why women choose study sections in fields that lead to low-paying jobs. Researchers claim that increased student stereotypes in children directly lead to more positive or negative attitudes towards school. Positive views lead to higher academic achievement, while negative views lead to lower academic achievement (Igbo et al., 2015). Gender stereotypes shape students' perceptions, thinking, knowledge, choice of major, and academic achievement. In an educational setting, gender discrimination has a far-reaching influence. Advances in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, known as STEM, play a critical role in social progress and economic development. As a result, employment opportunities in these fields have grown rapidly and are expected to continue to grow over the next decade (Department of Economics and Statistics, 2017). Indeed, children's STEM trajectory begins in elementary school when they begin placing into math courses based on their performance (Fong & Finkelstein, 2014). In previous literature, we have pointed out the relationship between gender stereotypes and educational aspects of university students, particularly the impact of gender stereotypes on academic performance and success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We are aware that such gender stereotypes may fester beneath the surface, at the unconscious level, in the form of implicit stereotypes. Research shows that these stereotypes often shape children's academic beliefs and interests. For example, studies have shown that boys as young as six years old are more likely than girls to believe that their gender is great (Bian, Leslie, & Cimpian, 2017).This pilot study aims to determine the impact of gender stereotypes and identify the most important factors that influence students' academic choices. The current study adopted a quantitative approach using a survey to measure the current research objectives. Quantitative studies involve gathering facts so that records can be quantified and are limited to statistical processing to preserve or refute the opportunity principle that asserts quantitative facts. Similarly, (Creswell 2003; Williams, 2011) says that quantitative studies use questionnaire techniques, including experiments and surveys, to collect facts about predetermined equipment that lead to statistical facts. As mentioned by Sukamolson (2007), survey studies involve using sampling techniques with a designed questionnaire to collect characteristics of a specific
Research hypotheses
1- There is a significant difference between male and female personality traits in the choice of academic specialization
2- Demographic factors significantly impact students' choice of major.
3- Demographic factors have a significant effect on personality traits.
4- Sociodemographic background has a significant impact on students' stereotypical characteristics
5- A strong relationship between academic specialization factors and gender stereotypes can be detected. (correlation)
6- Gender stereotypes have a significant impact on student's academic choices. (Logistic regression).