Student Teachers as Agents of Gender Equity in STEM: A Mixed Methods Case Study from a Ugandan Public University

Female underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains a persistent concern in sub-Saharan Africa, where enrollment, retention, and progression gaps continue to disadvantage girls despite affirmative action policies and gender equity reforms. While structural and socio-cultural barriers have been widely examined, limited attention has been paid to student teachers as future implementers of gender responsive pedagogy and frontline actors in shaping classroom experiences. This mixed-methods case study explored how student teachers in a Ugandan public university perceive their role in addressing female underrepresentation in STEM and how training and institutional support shape their preparedness to enact gender-equitable practices. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory and Teacher Agency theory, data were collected from 51 final year student teachers through questionnaires and from four STEM lecturers through semi-structured interviews, complemented by document analysis of five years of enrollment data to contextualise participation trends and STEM policies and mechanisms in operation. Findings indicate high awareness of gender disparities (96%) and strong endorsement of roles such as inclusive pedagogy, mentorship, and stereotype disruption. However, preparedness to implement these roles was constrained by limited integration of gender responsive pedagogy within the teacher education curriculum and low awareness of institutional support mechanisms (M=2.14/5). The study reveals a gap between perceived responsibility and structural preparedness. Strengthening teacher education curricula and institutional accountability mechanisms is critical to translating teacher agency into transformative practice. The study contributes to scholarship on gender equity in STEM by positioning student teachers as strategic agents within the education pipeline.