Malaysia

Understanding students’ academic preparation in math and science is critical to ensuring success in STEM subjects. Scores from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) allow analysis of the performance of boys and girls across various grades in the Malaysian educational system. The PISA is a series of reports comparing 15-year-olds academic performance across subjects and countries. The TIMSS measures 8th grades math and science achievement across 64 countries.

Data from the last three annual reports created by the Board of Engineers Malaysia show that the majority of registered engineers across various levels tend to concentrate around three specific engineering disciplines: civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. However, the majority of registered professional engineers and professional engineers with practicing certifications (highest level) are in civil…

In 2017, the Department of Statistics in Malaysia published a report titled Statistics on Women Empowerment in Selected Domains, which provided information on student enrollment in engineering, manufacturing, and construction. The overall proportion of women enrolled in these fields was between 37% and 40% from 2014 to 2016. Women’s representation differs by the type of…

The 2018 PISA survey also included a portion where students were asked about their science and engineering career aspirations. A comparable proportion of both Malaysian boys and girls (18% and 6%, respectively) as the OECD average proportion of boys and girls (15% and 7%, respectively) expect to have a science or engineering career by age…