GENDER DISPARITIES IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: TRENDS, STRUCTURAL FACTORS AND INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES

نویسندگان

  • Birgitta Nordén Malmö University, Sweden WiTEC, Sweden
  • Tomislav Globan University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • Pia Ulvenblad Halmstad University, Sweden WiTEC, Sweden
  • Alka Obadić University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • Zoran Wittine University of Zagreb, Croatia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i8.6792

کلمات کلیدی:

gender disparities, gender equality, educational patterns, Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics, STEAM, STEM

چکیده

Gender disparities in primary and secondary education remain a key concern across the European Union, affecting educational outcomes and shaping future opportunities for girls and boys differently. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive, thematic analysis of gender disparities in compulsory education across the EU, focusing on trends, structural factors, and institutional challenges. By using descriptive statistics, secondary data sources (Eurostat, OECD PISA and PIRLS, Eurydice, UNESCO), and comparative policy analysis within a framework of educational science, the study explores regional, national, and European-level dimensions of gender inequality in education. It addresses variations in early school leaving, academic achievement gaps, STEM subject preferences, and socio-cultural influences. Special attention is given to examining the case studies of EU member states of Croatia and Sweden to illustrate diverse policy environments and contextual challenges. The primary objective is to identify key regional and socioeconomic factors that contribute to existing gender disparities and critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of current educational policies. The paper intends to highlight areas for targeted intervention, facilitate knowledge-sharing among EU member states, and inform policymakers and educators on strategies to promote equitable educational outcomes for all students.

بیوگرافی نویسندگان

  • Birgitta Nordén، Malmö University, Sweden WiTEC, Sweden

    Birgitta Nordén is an Associate Professor in Natural Science Didactics with a focus on Sustainability Studies and holds a PhD in Educational Science & Science Education at Malmö University. Her main expertise is in future-oriented methodologies and Inner Development Goals (IDGs) linked to environmentally and socially sustainable society building (UN SDGs), Critical Knowledge Capabilities, critical Eco-reflexive Bildung, and transformative teaching in higher education. Within the framework of Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning (CAKL), Birgitta Nordén conducts research on Higher Education Didactics for Sustainability (HEDS), and she has recently been a guest lecturing via Karlstad University. She has a long experience of systemic digital design, creativity and innovation, organizational change towards sustainability, and improvement in outreach of formal, informal and non-formal ESD in global-local contexts and collaboration originating from being the Director in Distance Education for Young Masters Program (YMP) at the International Institute for Industrial and Environmental Education (IIIEE) at Lund University (1999-2009). More than 20.000 upper secondary school students in >120 countries participated. Birgitta Nordén is the founder of the Swedish branch of Caretakers of the Environment International (CEI/SE), where she was also the international President for a decade. Currently, she is an active WITEC Board member in Sweden, i.e. the European Association for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9613-8132

  • Tomislav Globan، University of Zagreb, Croatia

    Tomislav Globan is an Associate Professor at the University of Zagreb's Faculty of Economics and Business. He holds a doctorate in economics, with research specializations in the economics of sport, the economics of EU integration, and macroeconomics. He heads MacroHub, the Center for Structural and Nonlinear Macroeconomic Modelling. His international experience includes postdoctoral research at the WIIW institute in Vienna, a visiting researcher position at UNC Charlotte, guest lectureships at WU Vienna, UNC Charlotte, Kyungpook National University in South Korea, and the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, and further training at Northwestern University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Surrey. He is the recipient of the Croatian State Award for Science and an award from the Austrian National Bank (ÖNB) for his scholarly work, has led numerous scientific and professional projects, and has authored dozens of articles in academic journals. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5716-2113

  • Pia Ulvenblad، Halmstad University, Sweden WiTEC, Sweden

    Pia Ulvenblad is a Professor in Business Administration at the School of Business, Innovation and Sustainability, Halmstad University, Sweden, where she leads the research program ProActS – Promoting resource efficiency, co-creative Actions, and Innovation for Sustainable transition. Her research focus includes social and environmental sustainability; business models, circularity processes, gender inclusion, leadership and safety work. She is also active as deputy chair in WiTEC Sweden - European Association for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9584-3216

  • Alka Obadić، University of Zagreb, Croatia

    Alka Obadić is a Full professor (tenured) in Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, Department of Macroeconomics and Economic Development. Her research focuses on macroeconomics, labour market, employment policies, innovative clusters and competitiveness. She is the author and co-author of several scientific books, university textbooks, scientific proceedings, and the author of more than 110 articles in peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Actual Problems of Economics, Amfiteatru Economic, Economic Analysis and Policy, European Review of Labour and Research, Scientific Reports, PLoSONE, etc.). As a researcher, she has participated in many international projects financed by CERGE-EI, ETF, European Commission, Oxford Analytica, USAID, WB, etc.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8915-8853

  • Zoran Wittine، University of Zagreb, Croatia

    Zoran Wittine is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, Croatia, where he also serves as Vice-Dean for Infrastructure and Business Processes and a member of the University Senate. His academic and professional expertise encompasses international business, international entrepreneurship, digital transformation in higher education, social innovation, social entrepreneurship, and risk management. Prior to joining academia, he worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, participating in corporate restructuring, integration, and organizational development projects. Dr. Wittine has coordinated and led numerous European-funded research and capacity-building projects focused on higher education innovation, digitalization, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and institutional transformation. Among these are STEAMBRACE, SEED2SCALE, Building the Universities of the Future through Social Innovation Education, Promoting Social Entrepreneurship in Higher Education for a Prosperous Society, Strengthening the Digital Transformation of Higher Education through Low-Code, and Envisioning Sustainable Futures in Higher Education Business Departments Inspired by Permaculture Design Principles. He serves on the editorial boards of several international scientific journals and has been actively involved in organizing and reviewing numerous international conferences and scholarly publications. His research has been recognized through multiple international Best Paper Awards and academic excellence distinctions.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7119-2706

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دانلودها

چاپ شده

2026-06-14

شماره

دوره 13 شماره 8 (2026)

نوع مقاله

Articles

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