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Is Science Me? Exploring Middle School Students’ STE-M Career Aspirations
Journal of Science Education and Technology
Abstract
This study explores middle school students' aspirations in science, technology, engineering, and medical (STE-M) careers by analyzing survey data during their eighth and ninth grade years from an ethnically and economically diverse sample of Southern California urban and suburban public school students (n = 493). Students were classified based on their responses to questions about their science ability beliefs and subjective task values using latent class analysis (LCA). Four distinct groups of students were identified: Science is Me; I Value Science But Don't Do It Well; I Can Do Science but I Don't Value It Highly; and Science is Not Me. Few students (22 %) were classified as having strong science ability beliefs, and only a third as strongly valuing learning/doing science; a majority (57 %) were in the Science is Not Me category, underscoring the scope of the challenge to invite more young people to want to learn science. As predicted, students who believed they could do science and valued science were more likely than others to indicate interest in STE-M careers. This relationship between perceptions and aspirations was true regardless of gender, ethnicity, and type of STE-M field, but varied depending on socioeconomic status. Using LCA to organize information about students' science self-perceptions may help target specific interventions to student interests and aspirations and better support and encourage their persistence in STE-M careers.
... Caspi and colleagues (2019) found high correlations between nineth graders' self-efficacy, attainment value, intrinsic value, utility value, and relative cost in terms of picking STEM disciplines in high school. In much of the empirical research on task values, the three subconstructs of task values (intrinsic, utility, and attainment) have not been measured separately (e.g., Aschbacher et al., 2014;Bong, 2001;Neuville et al., 2007;Perez et al., 2014). This is perhaps because intrinsic, utility, and attainment value are sometimes positively correlated with each other (e.g., Beier et al., 2019), and attainment value and intrinsic value are often highly correlated (Hulleman et al., 2008;Trautwein et al., 2012). ...
... For instance, although the value variables were related, they did not always occur at the same levels. However, many studies have treated the three value subconstructs as a composite variable (e.g., Aschbacher et al., 2014;Chow et al., 2012;Dang & Nylund-Gibson, 2017) or even combined expectancy and value as a single motivational variable (e.g., Gaspard et al., 2019). Extant research also recognized the importance of using a person-oriented approach to investigate how math and science motivation relate to STEM career aspirations STEM major choice. ...
... However, it must be noted that even though there is variation in their expectancy and value levels, one still needs to have all of them on a relatively high level to be more likely to choose STEM careers. This has been shown by previous research findings with person-centered approaches (e.g., Aschbacher et al., 2014;Lazarides et al., 2020) and variable-centered approaches (e.g., Trautwein et al., 2012). ...
Motivation to study mathematics and science is an important influencing factor of career aspirations in STEM fields which predicts STEM major choice in college and STEM careers after graduation. Using restricted data from a nationally representative sample HSLS:09, the current study identified U.S. high school students’ motivation profiles in mathematics and science courses in 9th and 11th grade, examined the stability of these profiles across the two time points, and studied the association between 11th grade motivation profiles and STEM career aspirations. Differences between male and female students in motivation profiles, profile stability and career aspirations were examined. The stability of STEM career aspirations between 9th grade and 11th grade and the consistency between 11th grade STEM career aspirations and STEM major choice in college were also investigated. Latent profile analysis revealed four distinct motivation profiles at both time points. Latent transition analysis found substantial stability in profiles: participants were most likely to stay in their original profiles than transition to another profile. Students in the High All profile in 11th grade were more likely to aspire for STEM careers and health occupations than those in other profiles. Students in the Higher Science profile were more likely to aspire for health occupations than those in the Higher Math profile. There were significant differences between male and female students in profile membership, transition probability, and STEM career aspirations. In general, male students were more likely to be in latent profiles characterized by higher math and science motivation and aspire for traditional STEM careers. Female students were more likely to be in profiles characterized by lower motivation and aspire for health occupations. Career aspirations remained relatively stable from 9th grade to 11th grade. About 70% of students had the same career aspirations in 11th grade as in 9th grade. About 62.5 % of the participants’ first major in college was consistent with their career aspirations in 11th grade. Implications of these results for research and interventions on math and science motivation and STEM career aspirations are discussed.
... It is well established that there is a strong relationship between students' perceptions of themselves as professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and their career interest [7,9,58,93], indicating the importance of developing young peoples' attitudes and interests early on. Furthermore, student interest is a key predictor of persistence and achievement 29:2 S. R. Jacob et al. [59]. ...
... Kang et al. [69] underscore the influence of students' personal and family backgrounds on disciplinary identification. Family factors, especially parental support, represents a key factor contributing to disciplinary identification [6,7,93,97,115,116,130] The survey item with one of the largest increases was "I talk with friends and family about CS. " These dis- cussions provided multiple opportunities for children to perceive their families showing their support for CS and becoming more involved in their childrens' learning. Three major themes emerged from the analysis of parental involvement, which were rooted in their positive perceptions towards CS, strong interests in CS, and viewing and creating work with their children. ...
... Findings from this study suggest that multilingual students' discussions of CS with family and friends helped to normalize it and contributed to greater identification with the field [65]. While family and community engagement are critical to providing responsive CS education [6,7,93,97,115,116,130], the current focus on testing, which constrains other disciplines such as math and science, leaves little time for CS learning and fails to account for the sociocultural processes that underlie multilingual student identity development. Sharing projects with family and friends has had the reciprocal advantage of shaping how students perceive being seen by members of their households and communities, namely, as having CS expertise. ...
This volume focuses on a range of topics and studies that address the notion of plurilingualism and multilingual identity in computer-mediated language learning (CALL) spaces. Interest in digital multilingual identity in the fields of applied linguistics and language education has been growing exponentially in recent years. New theoretical assumptions and recent global challenges have urged researchers to problematize the traditional notion of virtual identity in the face of increased virtual connectedness and the hybridization of transcultural and translingual practices. The chapters in this collection contribute to this fast-growing body of interdisciplinary research, featuring conceptual papers and research studies of identity performance and multilingual communication in highly complexified digitally mediated social platforms. The volume seeks to (a) contextualize digital multilingual communication as it pertains to language learning and teaching via a historical and conceptual overview of the multilingual movement in technologically mediated SLA; (b) offer in-depth explorations of multilingual practices and digital affordances that affect language learner identities beyond the classroom context, (c) fill the research void by exploring empirically the critical aspects of multilingual identity deployment in digital contexts where language learners actively participate in translingual and plurilingual practices, and (d) illustrate new ways of evaluating and adapting teaching practices to accommodate multilingual subjects, and reflect the increasingly hyperlingual nature of digital communication.
... It is well established that there is a strong relationship between students' perceptions of themselves as professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and their career interest [7,9,58,93], indicating the importance of developing young peoples' attitudes and interests early on. Furthermore, student interest is a key predictor of persistence and achievement 29:2 S. R. Jacob et al. [59]. ...
... Kang et al. [69] underscore the influence of students' personal and family backgrounds on disciplinary identification. Family factors, especially parental support, represents a key factor contributing to disciplinary identification [6,7,93,97,115,116,130] The survey item with one of the largest increases was "I talk with friends and family about CS. " These dis- cussions provided multiple opportunities for children to perceive their families showing their support for CS and becoming more involved in their childrens' learning. Three major themes emerged from the analysis of parental involvement, which were rooted in their positive perceptions towards CS, strong interests in CS, and viewing and creating work with their children. ...
... Findings from this study suggest that multilingual students' discussions of CS with family and friends helped to normalize it and contributed to greater identification with the field [65]. While family and community engagement are critical to providing responsive CS education [6,7,93,97,115,116,130], the current focus on testing, which constrains other disciplines such as math and science, leaves little time for CS learning and fails to account for the sociocultural processes that underlie multilingual student identity development. Sharing projects with family and friends has had the reciprocal advantage of shaping how students perceive being seen by members of their households and communities, namely, as having CS expertise. ...
Developing student interest is critical to supporting student learning in computer science. Research indicates that student interest is a key predictor of persistence and achievement. While there is a growing body of work on developing computing identities for diverse students, little research focuses on early exposure to develop multilingual students’ interest in computing. These students represent one of the fastest growing populations in the US, yet they are dramatically underrepresented in computer science education. This study examines identity development of upper elementary multilingual students as they engage in a year-long computational thinking curriculum, and follows their engagement across multiple settings (i.e., school, club, home, community). Findings from pre- and -post surveys of identity showed significant differences favoring students’ experiences with computer science, their perceptions of computer science, their perceptions of themselves as computer scientists, and their family support for computer science. Findings from follow-up interviews and prior research suggest that tailored instruction provides opportunities for connections to out-of-school learning environments with friends and family that may shift students’ perceptions of their abilities to pursue computer science and persist when encountering challenges.
... However, focusing on middle school students is critical for several reasons. Middle school is a period when children begin to form more concrete ideas about their future careers and develop the skills and knowledge that will influence their academic paths (Aschbacher et al., 2014;Conlon et al., 2023). Additionally, this developmental stage is pivotal for identity formation and the development of self-efficacy beliefs (Kinkopf & Dack, 2023), which can profoundly impact children's perceptions of their abilities and their likelihood of pursuing STEM careers (Aschbacher et al., 2014). ...
... Middle school is a period when children begin to form more concrete ideas about their future careers and develop the skills and knowledge that will influence their academic paths (Aschbacher et al., 2014;Conlon et al., 2023). Additionally, this developmental stage is pivotal for identity formation and the development of self-efficacy beliefs (Kinkopf & Dack, 2023), which can profoundly impact children's perceptions of their abilities and their likelihood of pursuing STEM careers (Aschbacher et al., 2014). Consequently, understanding career expectations at the middle school level is fundamental for developing strategies to nurture an early interest in STEM subjects, as this is when their academic interests and self-efficacy beliefs are being shaped. ...
Introduction: This paper investigates indicators of STEM career expectations among middle school children in Chile, with a focus on the roles of parental career expectations and children’s early skills (communication, cognitive, socio-emotional skills, and executive functions), and the moderating effects of gender and family socioeconomic status. Method: Using data from the Chilean ‘Encuesta Longitudinal de la Primera Infancia’ 2017 wave, the study involved 2959 children from 10 to 12 years of age. Both children’s and parents’ career expectations were measured through open questions. The assessment of the same children’s early skills was conducted in the 2012 wave when the children were from five to seven years of age, using the Battelle Developmental Inventory and the Backward Digit Span tests. Results: Findings revealed that boys, especially those with mothers with higher educational levels who have STEM expectations for their children, are more likely to expect to continue STEM careers in the future. A significant moderation effect was also found, indicating that parental expectations have a stronger association with girls’ and lower-middle SES children’s STEM career preferences. No significant results were observed for children’s early skills on later STEM career expectations.Conclusions: The study suggests that educational strategies involving family engagement are important for fostering equitable STEM career opportunities.
... To increase women's representation in STEM, it is essential to identify ways to address girls' gender-STEM-stereotypes when girls first begin to consider potential careers. Early adolescence is an especially impressionable time for forming ideas about future careers (Erikson, 1968;Marcia, 1980), but also a time when many girls perceive STEM professions as masculine domains (Miller, Nolla, Eagly, & Uttal, 2018) and experience low science identity (Aschbacher, Ing, & Tsai, 2014). ...
... Further, some of the adolescent girls' written descriptions of their drawings specifically mentioned the influence of these activities. These findings support extant research that has found authentic science learning activities effective for in promoting STEM self-efficacy and STEM identity for early adolescent girls (Aschbacher et al., 2014;Reilly, McGivney , Dede, & Grotzer, 2021) and adolescent students (Aschbacher, Li, & Roth, 2010). ...
... This extension [Herrera et al., 2012] describes and underscores the interactions among compounded social identities and highlights the potential influence of media (i.e., non-STEM contexts) on STEM identity formation. Understanding STEM identity is important because it has been shown to be related to STEM interest, persistence in STEM fields, and choice of STEM careers [Aschbacher, Ing & Tsai, 2014;Brickhouse, Lowery & Schultz, 2000;Chen et al., 2023;Hazari et al., 2010;Tan, Calabrese Barton, Kang & O'Neill, 2013;Vincent-Ruz & Schunn, 2018]. ...
... Much extant research has been devoted to examining how to foster STEM identity as well as the many factors that contribute to its development [Aschbacher et al., 2014;Aschbacher, Li & Roth, 2010;Hazari et al., 2010;Trujillo & Tanner, 2014]. ...
Despite prior research on portrayals of women in STEM in traditional media, fewer studies have considered portrayals on social media. This content analysis of Instagram posts (N=300) examined how individuals using the hashtag #WomenInSTEM presented their gender identity, STEM identity, and other social identities through digital self-portraits, selfies, and associated text. Results showed that those associating with this hashtag community primarily presented: 1) counter-gender-stereotyped portrayals, but occasionally reflected gender stereotypes in subtle ways; 2) STEM identity portrayals, mostly focused on self-recognition; and 3) self-promotional and lifestyle portrayals. Findings advance understanding of identity presentation and negotiation for individuals associating with the hashtag #WomenInSTEM through portrayals presented on Instagram. Implications for the use of social media to promote equity in STEM through outreach programs that feature women STEM role models are discussed.
... Science identity is dynamic, and student trajectories may shift directions over time depending on students' lived experiences and social interactions with others [30][31][32][33]. Identity begets identity, as students with a high science identity are more likely to make decisions that validate that identity [34]. ...
... Our model cycles, as students continue to engage with new experiences they have the opportunity to synthesize these new experience with past experiences (Fig 5F cycles back to Fig 5B). This agrees with science identity being dynamic, with student trajectories shifting directions over time depending on students' lived experiences and social interactions with others [30][31][32][33]. ...
Improving the rate at which individuals enter into STEM careers remains a national concern. STEM fields are currently facing a crisis with respect to filling jobs with qualified workers, suggesting that STEM jobs are available yet remain open and waiting for qualified graduates. Although researchers have previously investigated variables such as demographics and attrition rates for the lack of STEM graduates available to fill these job vacancies, there is a critical need for additional research examining the impact of additional career-related variables. To explore the impact of a biology-focused career development course (CDC), we surveyed 277 biology majors in their final semester who participated in the CDC. Respondents were asked to describe their perceptions of the professional development modules contained within the CDC and to describe what they would have done differently had the CDC been available earlier in their academic career. We grounded data analysis in science and biology identity frameworks. In agreement with earlier identity studies, we found that engagement with the CDC enhanced student’s performance/competence in biology and recognition as a biologist, two factors that are important for identity formation. Additionally, we show that students prefer to have the CDC earlier in their academic careers. Collectively, our data advance our understanding of career development of biology majors in two novel ways. First, we provide much needed qualitative data highlighting the mechanisms underlying the biology-focused CDC. Second, we provide both quantitative and qualitative data focused on the timing of the CDC, a topic which has not yet been purposely explored in biology.
... As a result, a study of elementary school students' science career interests is needed (Miller 2021;Tai et al. 2006). Research indicates that students who express an early interest in science are more likely to pursue science-related studies (Maltese and Tai 2011), with competence beliefs and valuing what they study being important factors in the development of their aspirations (Aschbacher, Ing, and Tsai 2014). To the best of the author's knowledge, research has largely overlooked such an endeavour in low elementary grades, with few exceptions (Toma and Meneses-Villagrá 2019b), and the beginnings of gendered pathways (i.e. ...
... Given that slightly more girls than boys were grouped in the 'disinterest' cluster, these results suggest their attitudes in terms of intentions to further enrol in science, enjoyableness, usefulness, and perceived relevance of school science are compromised even from the elementary levels of the education system. These findings are significant because the literature suggests that attitudes play an important role in academic and career choices (Aschbacher, Ing, and Tsai 2014;Reilly, Neumann, and Andrews 2019;Sikora 2014). Thus, if girls develop a negative attitude towards school science as early as elementary school, this will influence future subject choices, hence leading to an educational pathway away from science-related studies. ...
Despite improvements in female science enrolment, the gender gap remains in some disciplines. This study examines whether elementary school students (N = 1012, third to sixth graders) display gender-stereotypical interest in learning biology and physics content and how this affects their attitudes towards school science. K-means cluster analysis revealed four interest profiles that resemble career enrolment patterns, with slightly more girls in profiles of high interest in biology over physics (biology interest) and low interest in both disciplines (disinterested), and more boys in high interest in physics over biology (physics interest) and high interest in both disciplines (interested). Students in the interested profile had more positive attitudes towards school science than those in the other profiles. These findings suggest gender segregation in science may be shaped before students make career decisions, calling for attitude-based, gender-inclusive educational interventions from elementary grades.
... Many studies in recent years have found a decrease in students' attitudes toward science as school grades increase (Aschbacher et al., 2014;DeWitt & Archer, 2015;Kennedy et al., 2014). The "leakages in the science pipeline" metaphor is frequently used to explain this phenomenon. ...
The current research evaluated the psychometric properties of a questionnaire measuring 1st and 2nd graders' attitudes toward school science (CASS). In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure, consisting of the 'enjoyableness' and 'self-efficacy' dimensions of school science. This analysis also provided initial evidence of satisfactory internal consistency reliability. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis showed that the two-factor model provided a better fit than a unidimensional structure and further supported the internal consistency reliability of the instrument. Study 3 provided strong evidence for test–retest reliability. Study 4 offered promising evidence of construct validity by identifying a positive and significant relationship between the 'enjoyableness' and 'perceived self-efficacy' in school science and leisure interest in science-related activities. Finally, Study 5 assessed the instrument's responsiveness to an inquiry-based intervention, showing that it can effectively detect changes over time. Taken together, these findings suggest that the proposed instrument, CASS, yields scores with adequate validity and reliability, making it a reliable tool for assessing young students' attitudes toward school science and evaluating the effectiveness of educational interventions in the early elementary school years.
... Permission to use the STEM identity scale was gained through PEAR. This measure draws on other published surveys that measure science and mathematics identity (e.g., Aschbacher et al., 2014;Cribbs et al., 2015). The pre-test portion of the survey asked participants to rate questions related to STEM identity before participating in the survey. ...
This study reports on an integrated steM camp that aimed to improve middle school students’ STEM identity, interest in STEM careers, and interest in environmental issues. Conjecture mapping was used as a tool to design the camp and to investigate if, how, and why the program features influenced the mediating processes and if, how, and why the mediating processes influenced the program outcomes. This study is grounded in design-based research and uses data from observations, interviews, surveys, facilitator reflections, and a group interview to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that most of the program features facilitated the intended mediating processes, which in turn influenced the intended outcomes. We also found that participants’ interest in STEM careers, interest in environmental issues, and interest in STEM identity increased. The findings of this study and the revised conjecture map advance the field’s understanding of how to improve middle school students’ STEM-related outcomes through an integrated steM camp. The findings also speak to some of the challenges of this designed environment and provide recommendations to address those challenges.
... Competence is defined as one's knowledge and understanding of STEM topics/STEM fields, performance refers to actions that demonstrate one's knowledge and abilities in STEM, and interest refers to an expressed desire or curiosity for STEM topics (Carlone and Johnson, 2007;Hazari et al., 2010). STEM identity has been shown to be related to a variety of significant STEM-related outcomes, such as interest in STEM, learning and engagement in STEM, persistence in STEM fields, and pursuing STEM careers (Aschbacher et al., 2014;Hazari et al., 2010;Trujillo & Tanner, 2014). Therefore, examining the development of STEM identity and additional factors that contribute to its development is crucial to understanding the embodiment and expression of STEM identity. ...
This study investigated portrayals of women in STEM on TikTok focusing on their self-presentation of identity and use of platform features to promote audience engagement. This quantitative content analysis examined TikTok posts ( N = 400) from a 3-month sample of 100 TikTok accounts by individuals identified as women in STEM. Results for STEM-focused posts showed that these content creators provided positive portrayals of their work as women in STEM and frequent displays of their STEM identity, particularly displays of STEM competence and self-recognition. However, findings also indicated that this TikTok community displayed other social group identities less frequently and used relatively few TikTok platform features that would likely enhance audience engagement. Results suggest that positive portrayals of women in STEM on TikTok are helpful for challenging gender-STEM stereotypes, but the dearth of displays of social group identities highlights a need for more diverse women in STEM role models on TikTok. In addition, the infrequent use of popular platform features appears to be a missed opportunity for broader audience engagement. Implications for social media science influencers, science communicators, and informal STEM outreach professionals are discussed.
... However, Woods et al. (2023) found in the United States that the effects of efficacy beliefs on STEM aspirations were stronger for girls than for boys. On the contrary, Aschbacher et al. (2014) also found in the United States that the effects of efficacy beliefs on students' intentions to pursue STEM did not differ by gender. ...
Empathy is an essential competence for dealing with challenging situations in the educational field. Proper guidance and practice
using simulations has great potential for developing empathy: establishing effective communication, constructing productive
interactions, and building trust and reciprocity between all partners in educational settings. Therefore, it is important to incorporate
such activities in the curriculum of teaching education programs. Based on the conceptual EPIC (Empathic Patterns in Interpersonal
Communication) model - a practical tool was constructed to provide a pedagogical instrument to cultivate empathic skills among
student teachers. Using the Delphi technique, the paper presents the validation process of the practical tool, following four steps:
selecting experts, first round of a survey with content experts, second round of a survey with clinical experts, and analysis of the
experts’ responses.
... However, Woods et al. (2023) found in the United States that the effects of efficacy beliefs on STEM aspirations were stronger for girls than for boys. On the contrary, Aschbacher et al. (2014) also found in the United States that the effects of efficacy beliefs on students' intentions to pursue STEM did not differ by gender. ...
Studies increasingly highlight that the effects of students’ self-efficacy beliefs on achievement-related choices diminish when it is analysed alongside other motivational beliefs, particularly subjective task values. This indicates that these other motivational beliefs confound or mediate the effects of self-efficacy. The Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) decomposition method analyses the mediating
effects of variables, especially when the outcome variable is categorical or ordinal. However, this has rarely been done with selfefficacy. In this study, we address this gap by examining the mediating effects of science intrinsic and utility values on the
relationship between science self-efficacy and students’ STEM occupational expectations using the KHB method. We used data (n = 24,665) from six countries in the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment. Our initial analysis revealed that selfefficacy had significant effects on expectations, but these effects diminished as we incrementally added intrinsic and utility values. In separate models, intrinsic value mediated its effects by about 57%; utility value mediated it by 76%; and intrinsic and utility values jointly mediated it by 97%. The study recommends that for interventions aimed at improving students’ educational outcomes through their self-efficacy beliefs to have the greatest impact, they should also consider intrinsic and utility values.
... However, Woods et al. (2023) found in the United States that the effects of efficacy beliefs on STEM aspirations were stronger for girls than for boys. On the contrary, Aschbacher et al. (2014) also found in the United States that the effects of efficacy beliefs on students' intentions to pursue STEM did not differ by gender. ...
... Science identity, or one's developing sense of self, remains a multifaceted and fluid construct. Studies demonstrate the importance of students seeing themselves and being recognized for their competence, performance, and interest which are integral to learning and developing positive orientations towards science identities or careers (Aschbacher et al., 2014;Carlone & Johnson, 2007). However, the competencies and identities (e.g., linguistic, cultural, and disciplinary) of multilingual students are often viewed through a deficit or inequitable lens in science education (Harper & Kayumova, 2023). ...
... Finding a significant difference across the scale indicates that the gender factor is a factor on the interest in STEM professions and that male students are more interested in STEM careers than female students. The significant difference in favor of male students in the sub-dimensions of technology and engineering is similar to some research findings in the literatüre (Azgın & Şenler, 2019;Bozgeyikli, Durmuşçelebi & Akyar, 2018;Christensen & Knezek, 2017;Ergün, 2019;Ing, Aschbacher & Tsai, 2014;Koyunlu Ünlü & Dökme, 2020;Wyss et al., 2012). This may be because women develop professional beliefs about gender in the form of 'male occupations' and this is a dangerous situation for the female population in the future job field (Liben & Bigler, 2002). ...
Cyberbullying is a significant issue affecting all professions, including plastic surgeons. This article aims to examine the phenomena of trolling and flaming directed at doctors working as plastic surgeons on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Google Reviews, and YouTube. The research was conducted using content analysis methodology. For this purpose, over 50 online attack cases directed at plastic surgeons on social media platforms were subjected to content analysis. The words and phrases used in the instances of trolling and flaming were analyzed, and the reactions were grouped and evaluated. Studies in the literature reveal that most attacks stem from personal animosity, jealousy, competition, and psychological problems of the attackers. In these studies, attackers used various tactics such as slander, humiliation, and threats to discredit and tarnish the reputations of surgeons. They also provided examples of unsuccessful operations. The findings from the research indicate that the victims experience psychological distress, such as depression, anxiety, and stress, which negatively impacts their personal and professional lives. As a result, some doctors have considered leaving their jobs or reducing their online presence, as noted in the literature. This article emphasizes the necessity of taking measures against online cyberbullying directed at plastic surgeons. One way to address this is through strict regulations and policies that hold cyber attackers accountable for their behavior. Additionally, education and awareness efforts can help individuals identify and report cyberbullying. In conclusion, this research highlights the problematic issue of cyberbullying directed at plastic surgeons, its adverse effects, and offers recommendations. Fighting this issue and protecting professionals from the harms caused by cyberbullying underscores the importance of the research.
... Over the past decade or more, the construct of identity has proven powerful in making sense of students' persistence in studying STEM subjects and selecting science careers (Hazari et al., 2010;Aschbacher et al., 2014). The identity construct frames engagement and aspirations in relation to science in terms of self-processes that are influenced by social structures and interactions framing the organization of self. ...
There are new demands on science education for students moving into uncertain futures, including engagement with scientific practices, and understanding of the nature of science and scientists’ work. Furthermore, there is increasing recognition of and interest in the construct of identity as a powerful way of looking at students’ engagement with science studies and futures. In Australia there has been policy-level curriculum advocacy focused on finding practical ways to represent scientists, their research practices and specialist knowledge as a powerful context for learning. Research into partnerships shows this has strong identity outcomes and pedagogies that privilege student active engagement with scientific practices. As part of an ongoing research program investigating the possibilities for a more thorough and scalable representation of contemporary science research practices in classrooms, this paper reports on (a) a survey of science teachers probing their beliefs and practices regarding representation of contemporary science, and (b) the identity entailments of producing and evaluating online resources that represent scientists working in key contemporary areas. The survey identifies that teachers are overwhelmingly positive about representing contemporary science and the varied ways they do that, but also identifies a range of structural barriers resulting in low levels of this practice. We describe the design principles process by which scientists’ practices are translated into classroom learning sequences that engage students with scientists’ backgrounds and motivations, research design and data analysis, and ethical and wider framings of scientific research. Preliminary trialing of the resources (previously reported) shows enhanced student engagement with contemporary, societally relevant scientific knowledge and practices. In this paper we interpret these experiences as identity forming and agency-developing. We argue in the paper that the construction and availability of such resources is a potentially powerful way of engaging students with: the practices of contemporary science; the motivations and living reality of scientists; and the societal and personal relevance of science to students’ lives. Engagement with such resources that involve students in actively generating and responding to contemporary concerns we argue is a more powerful way of introducing science ideas and providing identity-shaping opportunities than current established practices identified in the survey.
... First, the factor 'career interest' does not show any significant effect (p = 0.064). This is consistent with prior STEAM/computer education studies that students may not have a strong interest in career aspirations, as it may be too young for students to imagine their future career (Aschbacher et al., 2014;. Career counselling and mentoring play an important role in enhancing students' career development for promoting students' interests in STEAM (Stoeger et al., 2013). ...
Artificial intelligence (AI) literacy is at the top of the agenda for education today in developing learners' AI knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in the 21st century. However, there are few validated research instruments for educators to examine how secondary students develop and perceive their learning outcomes. After reviewing the literature on AI literacy questionnaires, we categorized the identified competencies in four dimensions: (1) affective learning (intrinsic motivation and self‐efficacy/confidence), (2) behavioural learning (behavioural commitment and collaboration), (3) cognitive learning (know and understand; apply, evaluate and create) and (4) ethical learning. Then, a 32‐item self‐reported questionnaire on AI literacy (AILQ) was developed and validated to measure students' literacy development in the four dimensions. The design and validation of AILQ were examined through theoretical review, expert judgement, interview, pilot study and first‐ and second‐order confirmatory factor analysis. This article reports the findings of a pilot study using a preliminary version of the AILQ among 363 secondary school students in Hong Kong to analyse the psychometric properties of the instrument. Results indicated a four‐factor structure of the AILQ and revealed good reliability and validity. The AILQ is recommended as a reliable measurement scale for assessing how secondary students foster their AI literacy and inform better instructional design based on the proposed affective, behavioural, cognitive and ethical (ABCE) learning framework.
Practitioner notes
What is already known about this topic AI literacy has drawn increasing attention in recent years and has been identified as an important digital literacy.
Schools and universities around the world started to incorporate AI into their curriculum to foster young learners' AI literacy.
Some studies have worked to design suitable measurement tools, especially questionnaires, to examine students' learning outcomes in AI learning programmes.
What this paper adds Develops an AI literacy questionnaire (AILQ) to evaluate students' literacy development in terms of affective, behavioural, cognitive and ethical (ABCE) dimensions.
Proposes a parsimonious model based on the ABCE framework and addresses a skill set of AI literacy.
Implications for practice and/or policy Researchers are able to use the AILQ as a guide to measure students' AI literacy.
Practitioners are able to use the AILQ to assess students' AI literacy development.
... To examine two case study students' experiences with the co-designed curriculum and assessments (Research Question #2), three types of data were collected: (a) students' responses to a science identity survey ("Is Science Me?"; ISME), (b) individual interviews with students and Mr Tschida, and (c) learning artifacts. ISME was an empirically validated survey originally developed to measure secondary school students' identities, grounded in social practice theory (Aschbacher et al., 2009(Aschbacher et al., , 2014Gilmartin et al., 2006). The original survey was modified and validated to study science identity development of middle school girls of color (see the detail of the survey, including evidence of structural and generalizability aspects of validity in Kang et al., 2019). ...
Researchers and practitioners in the United States increasingly promote phenomena‐based instruction in science that supports the development of a coherent storyline throughout the unit. Questions about who is constructing the science storyline and how still remain. Employing a qualitative ethnographic case study approach, we explore how three Latinx female students authentically contribute in their high school chemistry class and change the science storyline originally developed by the teacher. Data include over 950 min of video recordings, student artifacts, and interviews collected from a unit about reaction rate, which was contextualized by students' experiences with a local wildfire. The analysis points to three instructional moves that appear to play an important role in shifting the collective storyline: connecting to Latinx students' personal concerns, moving across multiple figured worlds, and recognizing students' epistemological contributions. Implications for supporting minoritized students are discussed.
... Multiple factors can impact this: the prevalence of stereotypical social views of science and scientists, experience with STEM subjects, and more importantly, science capital (Archer & DeWitt, 2017;Archer et al., 2015). A concept of science capital (Archer et al., 2015) has shown that children's backgrounds such as class, gender and race impact crucially on children's STEM aspirations (Aschbacher, Ing & Tsai, 2014;Archer & DeWitt, 2017;Mujtaba, Sheldrake & Reiss, 2020), and young people from rural areas may perceive more obstacles to obtain STEM education. On the contrary, persons with a family background or acquaintances in STEM professions, or experiences with STEM themes are more likely to choose the field. ...
The main objective of this paper is to highlight the potential impact of transport
disadvantage on young people in rural areas, focusing on rural NEETs. Lika in Croatia is used as a case study. Mobility and accessibility to various activities and services are very important segments in people's lives. People's mobility and accessibility to activities and services are also influenced by the characteristics of the area in which they live (the extent of transport services available in that area and the extent of activities' locations that people want to access) (Hurni, 2006). These factors can lead to transport disadvantage. Rural areas are severely affected by transport problems. This is due to physical and social heterogeneity, low population density and small numbers of inhabitants. Certain areas (e.g. urban or rural areas) may be disadvantaged by transport. Low frequency of public transport or its complete absence, inadequate roads, lack of sidewalks or lighting are just some of the reasons that make one area worse off compared to another (Murray & Davis, 2001). The main components of transport disadvantage are mobility and accessibility (Kamruzzaman & Hine, 2011). Mobility is a fundamental and important feature of human activity as it fulfils the basic need to get from one place to another in order to participate in employment, kinship and education. Thus, mobility enables social, cultural, political, and economic activities to take place with relative ease (Gasparovic & Prieto Flores, 2021). Accessibility is parameter which is crucial part of the function of determining transport disadvantaged space. It is also the most important spatial factor influencing the development and use of public transport (Bole, 2004; Kozina, 2010). Assuming that public transport is a service that should be available to everyone, the simplest approach to exploring transport disadvantaged spaces is the relationship between the space and the public transport system. Some authors (Murray & Davis, 2001; Hurni, 2007) defined transport disadvantaged spaces as areas where public transport is unavailable or very limited. People's mobility can be affected by the fact that public transport is not available in a given area or runs infrequently, that a person cannot afford transport, that the place of residence is unfavourable in terms of transport and desired activities, and so on. Public transport is used by different social groups for different reasons, so this paper is based on the interrelation between space and the public transport system. Public transport is a particular problem in rural areas. It is often characterised by lower levels of development, low frequency, inadequate timetables, distant stops, etc. (Fawcet, 2009; Knowles et al., 2010). Such problems affect all users of public transport, including young people, with the problem being particularly evident for rural NEETs. In addition, public transport problems could lead to a greater need for personal transport, leading to disadvantage and exclusion of those unable to drive a car, with young people being particularly vulnerable (Gasparovic, 2016). Lika is a rural region in the mountainous part of Croatia, characterised by depopulation and a small population. The methodology of the article is primarily based on the GIS tools and the spatial analysis of public transport and its timetables. The research shows that Lika is characterised by a poorly developed and spatially poorly distributed public transport network. This shows how poorly public transport connectivity negatively affects young people's daily lives and directly influences their mobility and accessibility to various life services, which can also be considered under the broader aspect of the social and economic pillars of sustainability
... Multiple factors can impact this: the prevalence of stereotypical social views of science and scientists, experience with STEM subjects, and more importantly, science capital (Archer & DeWitt, 2017;Archer et al., 2015). A concept of science capital (Archer et al., 2015) has shown that children's backgrounds such as class, gender and race impact crucially on children's STEM aspirations (Aschbacher, Ing & Tsai, 2014;Archer & DeWitt, 2017;Mujtaba, Sheldrake & Reiss, 2020), and young people from rural areas may perceive more obstacles to obtain STEM education. On the contrary, persons with a family background or acquaintances in STEM professions, or experiences with STEM themes are more likely to choose the field. ...
Food security in Algeria depends very closely on the foreign market. The Covid-19 crisis has brought to light the extroversion of the Algerian food system, with all the resulting risks, and reminds the need for a redeployment of efforts with a view to setting up a vigorous approach of food security. The national data show that the unemployment rates among young people are alarming: 31.1% (2005), 21.3% (2009), and 26.9% (2019). In the rural areas, the problem is more important and increases the internal migration toward cities. A category strongly impacted by unemployment is the category of young people aged 16 to 24 who are three times more likely than adults to be out of work, due to the difficulties they encounter in entering the labour market, closely linked to the question of the adequacy between training and employment and the employability of young graduates.
In this sense, agriculture occupies an important place within the Algerian national economy as well as in the development of its rural territories, with just over 12% of non-hydrocarbon GDP, just over 20% of the active population, and 70% of the national value of food consumption. The rapid urbanisation (70% of the total population in 2020 against 30% in 1970s) raises the issues of food availability, rural development, resilience, and rural poverty. Agricultural/rural dualism is apparent in the public policies ignoring, in fact, the others rural population aspirations (culture, sport …). The rural entrepreneurship concept is less known in Algeria and is not taken into account in the nomenclature of public policies.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the different on-going public programs targeting the rural youth entrepreneurship in relation with the national food security objective and to propose new policy implications in order to enhance the public intervention regarding the rural youth population.
... Multiple factors can impact this: the prevalence of stereotypical social views of science and scientists, experience with STEM subjects, and more importantly, science capital (Archer & DeWitt, 2017;Archer et al., 2015). A concept of science capital (Archer et al., 2015) has shown that children's backgrounds such as class, gender and race impact crucially on children's STEM aspirations (Aschbacher, Ing & Tsai, 2014;Archer & DeWitt, 2017;Mujtaba, Sheldrake & Reiss, 2020), and young people from rural areas may perceive more obstacles to obtain STEM education. On the contrary, persons with a family background or acquaintances in STEM professions, or experiences with STEM themes are more likely to choose the field. ...
Rural society is facing numerous difficulties in the form of poverty, social exclusion, low level of education, etc. (Salamońska & Czeranowska, 2019; FAO, 2022). Youth are especially adversely affected by this situation. Setting up one's own business is crucial because they can produce and sell their agricultural products in rural areas. Sustainable business approach with farm and rural entrepreneurship are a key issue in rural areas to alleviate rural poverty (Naminse & Zhuang, 2018), but rural youth do not want to be involved and work in agricultural, forestry and even fishery activities. This is an important obstacle in sustainable rural development and development of new initiatives and approaches needed for rural youth not employed, nor in education or training (NEETs).
Most rural societies in developing countries struggle with both poverty and low levels of education (Salamońska & Czeranowska, 2019; FAO, 2022). Rural development can be explained as increasing production, income and welfare levels, eliminating imbalances, establishing physical and social infrastructure similar to urban areas, processes, activities and organizations in order to improve the socio-economic and cultural aspects of people living in rural areas and to evaluate agricultural products and initiatives (Nejadrezaei & Ben-Othmen, 2019). Rural development aims to minimize the socio-cultural and economic development difference between the city and the countryside by using rural resources effectively, increasing employment opportunities in rural areas, preventing
migration to the city and raising living standards (Kennedy et al., 2001; Dorobantu &
Nistoreanu, 2012). Within the scope of rural development activities, the target group consists of young people living in rural areas.
Despite the fact that the NEET concept has different definitions according to age groups there are common features on these vulnerable young people. The widest age group range is 15-34 in the NEET based on Eurostat description (Eurostat, 2020). OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) defines the NEET aged 15-29. The main aim of this paper is to define rural NEET’s current situation, describe their skills development opportunities through entrepreneurship and new initiatives in the rural areas. The paper also aims to reveal new and convenient initiatives by analyzing the scientific papers. This paper especially aimed to emphasize the importance of adaptation of rural youth to digital and technologic innovations in terms of eco-entrepreneurship approaches.
Entrepreneurship can be defined as the creation or extraction of economic value
(Gaddefors & Anderson, 2017). Entrepreneurship concept widely covers the
establishment of a new business, bringing together the production factors properly,
undertaking financial, psychological and social risks. Establishing new job opportunities and initiatives are crucial to increase rural inhabitants' welfare. This vulnerable group needs investments from both the public and private sector. On the other hand, urban society has increased environmental concerns. We described the rural NEETs basics required through content analysis and document analysis in this paper (Kuckartz, 2014; Riffe et al., 2014; Erdoğan et al., 2022). The Web of Science (WoS) database was used to collect related studies on rural NEET and entrepreneurship. We applied web based search including these keywords: “rural + NEET, NEET + entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship + cooperative”. We found over 150.000 articles related to the mentioned keywords. After the first examination we decided to reduce highly related according to the highest cited
articles to apply content analysis. After the content analysis we continued to categorize topics through document analysis.
According to both content and document analysis results, new training platforms were identified, using technology and social media, including environmentally friendly practices that can create opportunities to start an enterprise and increase motivation of youth in rural areas. Interactive learning programs and entrepreneurship courses can be effective for the potential young entrepreneurs with the application of good practices in rural areas. Based on identified results in this paper, we propose a “Rural Youth Cooperative” that could be a good initiative and eco-entrepreneurship model for rural youth. In addition, it is aimed to develop support mechanisms that will contribute to the employment of young people in the NEET group and to develop various proposals for the employment of these young people in existing cooperatives. Because rural areas are still importantly connected to agriculture, forestry (especially non-wood forest products), and ecotourism activities. This policy implementation can also be a pioneer for the other nature-based solutions for instance to establish a new eco-entrepreneurship ecosystem
and sustainable rural marketing strategy. Another suggestion could be enhancement of youth in the current rural cooperative and financial support by local governments to improve capacity building and co-creation for the rural NEETs.
... No indica No indica IRIS-Q Por su parte, la variable Expectativas de resultado ha sido explorada con más amplitud; en la revisión de literatura se ubicaron 16 instrumentos que miden dicha variable en jóvenes estudiantes relacionados con las disciplinas STEM, sin embargo, algunos de ellos se enfocan a poblaciones diferentes a la que este estudio interesa (Chemers et al., 2011;Mitchell, 2016;Robnett y Thoman, 2017;Vázquez y Manassero, 2015;Vogel, 2016) y en otros más no se presentan los suficientes datos para evaluar las características psicométricas (Aschbacher et al., 2014;Aschbacher et al.,2010;Hillman et al., 2016;Kier et al., 2014;Means et al., 2017), por lo que el análisis se centró en seis instrumentos (ver Tabla 2). ...
Identificar los factores que influyen en la elección de carrera de los jóvenes mexicanos resulta fundamental para generar estrategias que permitan atraer nuevos estudiantes al área de ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas (STEM, por sus siglas en inglés). El objetivo del estudio fue desarrollar y verificar las propiedades psicométricas (fiabilidad y validez de constructo) para las escalas Apoyo de pares estudiantiles (APE-STEM) y Expectativas de resultado (EXREC-STEM) en la elección de carreras universitarias STEM en estudiantes de nivel medio superior, generando un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. Las escalas (tipo Likert) se aplicaron a 167 estudiantes de instituciones rurales y urbanas del sureste mexicano: los resultados de los análisis factoriales, exploratorio y confirmatorio muestran un adecuado ajuste, además de una consistencia interna de α = .82 y .84, confirmándose la solidez empírica del modelo, por lo que se concluye que las escalas son altamente confiables para su utilización en este contexto.
... Career expectations are a person's stated career-related choices or goals (Rojewski, 2005). Career development theorists and researchers have suggested that, although they reflect aspirations more than realities, students' career expectations at age 15 are relatively stable and a significant predictor of their later actual career choices (Archer et al., 2020;Aschbacher & Tsai, 2014;Lent et al., 1994;Sadler et al., 2012;Tai et al., 2006). Bandura et al. (2001) concluded that the ages between 10 and 14 are critical for students to consider and prepare for their future occupations. ...
In response to growing concerns about adolescents’ low expectations for science-related careers, this study explores the mechanisms of the ternary associations among science learning experiences, science-related attitudes and beliefs, and science-related career expectations, involving a sample of 9841 15-year-old students from four Chinese provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong) who took part in the sixth cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results of the path analysis reveal that (i) both formal and informal learning experiences had positive relationships with science-related attitudes and beliefs; (ii) enjoyment of science, science self-efficacy, science outcome expectations, and epistemological beliefs about science had positive effects on career expectations; (iii) inquiry-based learning experiences were negatively associated with career expectations, although the direct association was suppressed by enjoyment of science, science self-efficacy, and science outcome expectations; (iv) teacher-directed science learning experiences had a positive impact on career expectations, fully mediated by enjoyment of science, epistemological beliefs about science, and science outcome expectations; and (v) all four science-related attitudes and beliefs played full mediating roles in the relationship between informal science learning experiences and career expectations.
... To understand complexities in engagement with learning and longer-term participation patterns in science pathways, there has been for the last two decades increasing interest in exploring students' identity in relation to science and science learning. A range of studies have shown that science identity plays a significant role in students' persistence in learning science subjects and their selection of science careers (Aschbacher et al. 2014;Hazari et al. 2010). The identity construct goes beyond considerations of short-term attitudes and affective responses to classroom events, to frame engagement with science and longer-term aspirations in terms of selfprocesses that are bounded by social structures and interactions with others that shape the organisation and content of self. ...
... The educational implications of this body of research are significant. Students' interest in a science career has been steadily declining over the last decade (Aschbacher et al., 2014;Gottlieb, 2018;Liou, 2021;Newell et al., 2015;Tytler, 2014;Tytler & Osborne, 2012). This waning interest is highly concerning given the concomitant need for a specialised scientific workforce (Bybee, 2010;Gago et al., 2004;Tanenbaum, 2016). ...
A growing body of research addresses students’ images of scientists using the Draw-a-Scientist-Test (DAST) and its Checklist (DAST-C). These protocols rest on the assumption that stereotypical views of scientists, as identified by the presence of multiple indicators in student drawings (e.g. lab coat, male gender; eyeglasses; facial hair), may affect science career interest. Yet, such an assumption remains unexplored. This study investigated whether stereotyped images of scientists identified by the DAST and DAST-C predicted and affected students’ science career interests. A total of 1799 students in grades 3, 6, 9, and 11 in Colombia drew a picture of a scientist at work and reported their interest in a scientific career. Contrary to theoretical expectations, neither the original seven DAST stereotypical indicators nor the eight alternative DAST-C indicators predicted students’ science career interests. Similarly, drawings of male or female scientists had no predictive power of students’ science career interest. On the contrary, students interested in a science career drew significantly more stereotyped indicators than their counterparts with low interest. This study failed to find evidence supporting the contention of DAST and DAST-C protocols, and raises questions about their validity in identifying stereotipical images of scientists.
... To examine two case study students' experiences with the co-designed curriculum and assessments (Research Question #2), three types of data were collected: (a) students' responses to a science identity survey ("Is Science Me?"; ISME), (b) individual interviews with students and Mr Tschida, and (c) learning artifacts. ISME was an empirically validated survey originally developed to measure secondary school students' identities, grounded in social practice theory (Aschbacher et al., 2009(Aschbacher et al., , 2014Gilmartin et al., 2006). The original survey was modified and validated to study science identity development of middle school girls of color (see the detail of the survey, including evidence of structural and generalizability aspects of validity in Kang et al., 2019). ...
This study explores the role of unconventional forms of classroom assessments in expanding minoritized students' opportunities to learn (OTL) in high school physics classrooms. In this research + practice partnership project, high school physics teachers and researchers co‐designed a unit about momentum to expand minoritized students' meaningful OTL. Specifically, the unit was designed to (a) expand what it means to learn and be good at science using unconventional forms of assessment, (b) facilitate students to leverage everyday experiences, concerns, and home languages to do science, and (c) support teachers to facilitate meaningful dialogical interactions. The analysis focused on examining minoritized students' OTLs mediated by intentionally designed, curriculum‐embedded, unconventional forms of assessments. The participants were a total of 76 students in 11th or 12th grade. Data were gathered in the form of student assessment tasks, a science identity survey, and interviews. Data analysis entailed: (a) statistical analysis of student performance measured by conventional and unconventional assessments and (b) qualitative analysis of two Latinx students' experiences with the co‐designed curriculum and assessments. The findings suggest that the use of unconventional forms of curriculum‐embedded assessment can increase minoritized students' OTL if the assessment facilitates minoritized students to personally and deeply relate themselves to academic tasks.
... Furthermore, 28 students from across the three chemistry classrooms were interviewed at the end of the year to gain the perspectives about the inclusive units from the students who experienced them. Of those interviewed, 18 students in the fall had completed a science identity survey "Is Science Me?" (ISME), an empirically validated questionnaire used to measure high schoolers' science identity (Aschbacher et al, 2014;Aschbacher et al, 2010;Gilmartin, Li, Aschbacher & McPhee, 2006). ...
... The lack of positivity in the boys and positivity in the girls may indicate a mismatch in career aspiration and a developing personal identity in both the boys and girls or it may indicate that girls make decisions about careers later than boys; which then appear resistant to change (Finlayson & Roach, 2007;Moote et al., 2020;Zubair & Nasir, 2011). The lack of a strong correlation between the pupils' liking of science maths and design and technology appear to be counter to the research in secondary/high school that indicates that positive attitudes to science and maths as one indicator, along with other factors , of considering engineering careers (Aschbacher et al., 2014). It may be that younger pupils have unformed ideas about the nature of engineering as a career or have had less time to gain science capital. ...
Across Europe, there is concern about the number and diversity of pupils taking study routes leading to Engineering. There is growing evidence that these career choices begin to form at elementary school age (Moote et al., 2020). Science, maths and design and technology are seen as subject choices necessary for pupils’ progression into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related occupations. Achievement in these subjects, identity, gender attitudes to the subjects, parents and informal activities may have an impact on these career choices. This mixed methods research draws on participants in the Children as Engineers project to investigate aspirations to a career in engineering and the links between these aspirations and attitudes to STEM subjects. It explores findings that suggest that there is little relationship between aspirations and positive attitudes to individual curriculum subjects. Pupils’ out-of-school activities and the links to aspirations in engineering are also researched and discussed. The article discusses the pupils’ rationales for these choices and the implications for intervention and informal engineering experiences that rely on a science and maths context for elementary school activities and for fostering interest in engineering.
... Furthermore, teachers at early levels are bound by curricular constraints that prioritize literacy and mathematics [43]. As such, Aschbacher, Ing, and Tsai [44] as well as others (e.g., Ref. [10]) suggest turning to informal experiences as a way of enhancing students' scientific interests, knowledge, and skills. In terms of interest, ISE experiences have been found to be critical for the development of students' current and future interest in STEM, as well as their subsequent STEM identity development [6,7,13,17,33,45,46]. ...
Both in physics education and in science education more generally concerns exist that formal K-12 education structures limit and, in some cases, diminish students’ interest and agency in these fields. Many stakeholders have turned to informal learning experiences as a means to inspire young people to pursue continual learning in these fields in ways that foster creativity and self-determination. While research exists on the effect of these informal science experiences on students’ science identities and broader science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) identities, little is known about how specific informal science education experiences relate to students’ physics identity—a construct strongly associated with physics career choice. The current study contributes to the literature by examining the effect of several informal science experiences on students’ physics identity. Drawing on data from a national survey administered to students in required English courses at 27 colleges and universities across the US (N=15 847), we used multiple regression to test the relationship between informal science experiences in various topical areas at two educational levels (K-8 and 9–12) and students’ physics identity, while controlling for science background and demographics. The results reveal positive effects for stereotypic informal experiences in physical science (e.g., tinkering, competitions) as well as for talking science with friends or family. In addition, there were negative relationships between biology-related experiences (at both levels) and physics identity. Group comparisons further revealed that female students were more likely to report participating in biology-related activities and less likely to report participating in tinkering, STEM competitions, and talking science with friends or family. Students who identified themselves as Black or Hispanic were also less likely than those of other racial or ethnic groups to report tinkering and talking science with friends or family. We use this evidence to build the case that informal learning experiences in physics should move beyond stereotypic activities, increase accessibility, facilitate discourse with family or friends, and focus on interdisciplinary experiences that better engage young participants with a wide range of interests that are connected to physics.
... It also allowed teachers to see how students refined their ideas in response to teacher guidance. Providing personalized and timely guidance was particularly salient for affirming students' identities as science learners during a time when much of students' school experience was occurring in isolation (Aschbacher et al., 2014). A second teaching practice was leveraging the web-based authoring system of the OER to customize the curriculum content. ...
Prompted by the sudden shift to remote instruction in March 2020 brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers explored online resources to support their students learning from home. We report on how twelve teachers identified and creatively leveraged open educational resources (OERs) and practices to facilitate self-directed science learning. Based on interviews and logged data, we illustrate how teachers’ use of OER starkly differed from the typical uses of technology for transmitting information or increasing productivity. These experiences provide insights into ways teachers and professional developers can take advantage of OER to promote self-directed learning when in-person instruction resumes.
Through progressive policies, Rwanda has made significant strides in promoting girls’ education and empowerment. However, female enrollment in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programs remains disproportionately low. This cross-sectional study investigates the influence of gender stereotypes and girls’ self-perceptions on female engagement in MBBS programs in Rwanda. The data analyzed for this study has been used and published in BMC Medical Education in a study with a different but clearly related focus, under the title “Gender-based support systems influencing female students to pursue a bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery (MBBS) in Rwanda” (Neil KL, BMC Med Educ 24:641,2024). While the previous analysis focused on the presence and gaps in gender-based support systems, the current research has a new focus on gender based self-perceptions influence in girls interest in pursuing medical school training. Conducted across 13 secondary schools and 3 universities offering MBBS degrees, the study engaged 8–12 students, parents/guardians, and teachers in each focus group discussion in a total of thirty-four focus group discussions and sixteen semi-structured interviews. Twenty-eight discussions took place at the secondary school level, and six were conducted at the MBBS level. Data analysis utilized inductive coding to identify recurring themes. The study identified three overarching themes: society’s role in shaping gendered expectations about domestic and professional roles, girls’ self-perceptions regarding their ability to pursue sciences and MBBS within these norms, and internalized stereotypes affecting girls’ career aspirations. Drawing on gender schema and social cognitive theory, the research underscores how societal expectations and stereotypes shape and constrain girls’ career choices. The findings highlight the necessity of dismantling gender-based perceptions that hinder girls’ participation in scientific disciplines, including MBBS.
A student’s middle school science experience strongly impacts their future science, technology, engineering, and mathematics interest. The Japanese lesson study (JLS) model strengthens the student’s experience through a research-based, collaborative, multistep, teaching-centered process focused on transforming local instructional practices. The JLS model has seen very limited application to middle school life science classrooms. The six-year-long implementation of JLS to core standards in the seventh-grade life science curriculum at a Los Angeles area school serving a historically underrepresented population found large, gender-independent increases in student mastery of key science standards, increased teacher collaboration in the areas of lesson development and data analysis, and school-site reform yielding district and statewide recognition.
Swedish education carries many traces of colonial history within the education system, not the least in relation to the Sámi population. For example, the Swedish curriculum mentions knowledge about Sámi perspectives to a limited extent. In other parts of the world, efforts have been made to advance culturally responsive pedagogies in education in general, and in science education specifically, aiming to include and nurture indigenous perspectives. In addition, there has been no research in science education regarding relations between Sámi traditional knowledge and science education. This study draws on the framework of culturally responsive teaching and Sámi traditional knowledge, árbediehtu. Árbediehtu considers human and environment as a whole, and is a collective knowledge carried by individuals. The aim of this study is to envision a culturally responsive science education where árbediehtu is not framed as a special interest, but as a resource for gaining more nuanced understandings of wicked sustainability problems. The study is conducted as an action research study drawing on theories of culturally responsive science education. Preliminary results from the initial mapping and analysis will be presented. The results will contribute to new knowledge on how indigenous perspectives may be incorporated into science education.
Given the increasing shortage of STEM professionals and decreasing enrolment numbers in STEM degrees, higher education institutions have been seeking ways to attract more students to STEM subjects, particularly women. In two preregistered studies (NStudy1 = 292; NStudy2 = 307), we tested whether STEM image videos can increase (female) students' domain-specific interest in biomedical engineering (Study 1) and geodesy (Study 2), and the perceived utility value of the respective domains. Building on Goal Congruity Theory, we further examined gender differences in participants' agentic and communal goal orientations and the effect of agentic and communal video framings on participants' interest and utility value. Both studies document a positive influence of the videos on students' domain-specific interest and utility value. Further analyses investigating gender differences showed that women reported, after watching the video, higher interest and utility value in biomedical engineering (Study 1) but lower interest in geodesy (Study 2) than men. In Study 2, no gender differences emerged in domain-specific utility value. Consistent with previous research, women valued communal goals more than men in Study 1, yet no gender differences were found regarding agentic goals in both studies. Hardly any effects of the agentic and communal framings on students' domain-specific interest and utility value were found, except for the agentic condition in Study 2, where men expressed higher interest in geodesy than women. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of attracting students to STEM fields.
///Traulsen, S., & Zander, L. (2024). STEM Image Videos as a Means to Increase Students’ Interest and Utility Value Perception: Does Goal Congruity Matter? International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology, 16(1), 31-70. https://genderandset.open.ac.uk/index.php/genderandset/article/view/1505
Background
Students’ positive perceptions of scientists or engineers have been reported to be positively related to their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career aspirations. However, other research indicates that positive perceptions of experts in these fields might not necessarily lead to students’ pursuit of STEM careers. Self-concept, defined as one’s perceived abilities in specific academic domains, likely plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceptions and career aspirations according to the motivational theory of role modelling. Moreover, students’ perceptions of STEM professionals might be sourced from STEM-related media and school experiences. Therefore, through running a moderated mediation model, this study examined whether and how the influences of media consumption and school STEM learning opportunities on career aspirations would be mediated by perceptions of STEM professionals, and whether the mediation effect would be conditional on students’ self-concept.
Methods
Data were collected through an online survey of 608 primary and secondary school students from Hong Kong, and were analysed using structural equation modelling.
Results
Results revealed that the students’ positive perceptions of STEM professionals were positively associated with their career aspirations, and mediated the links from media consumption and school opportunities to career aspirations. In addition, this mediated pathway depended on STEM self-concept, such that perceptions of STEM professionals were only linked with STEM career aspirations for adolescents with average or high levels of self-concept.
Conclusions
The findings of this study suggest the need to pay attention to the STEM perceptions and self-concept interaction while designing and implementing learning activities to connect a diversity of students with STEM careers. It is not only important to foster students’ self-concept, but also to enrich their knowledge of diverse occupations, so as to help diversify their perceptions that being professionals in these fields is desirable and attainable, and to eventually inspire more student engagement and participation in STEM.
Informal science education researchers have become increasingly interested in how out-of-school spaces that offer STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs inform learners’ STEM achievement, interests, and affective outcomes. Studies have found that these spaces can offer critical learning and developmental opportunities for underrepresented racially minoritized (URM) students (Black, Latinx, low socioeconomic status) in STEM subjects. Shifting away from the leaky STEM pipeline analogy, researchers have posited contemporary understandings to explain why the minoritization of URM girls persists. Informal learning environments such as STEM summer camps are being studied to assess how URM girls experience and interact with STEM in novel ways. These environments can inform the research field about how URM girls’ perceptions of their STEM identities, abilities, efficacy, and belonging in STEM develop as they engage in those spaces. This mixed-method study used a multiple-case-study approach to examine how aspects of URM middle school girls’ STEM identities positively changed after participating in a one-week, sleep-away, single-gender STEM summer camp held at a university in the Southwestern U.S. Drawing on intersectionality and STEM identity, we used ecological systems theory to design our research study, examining how URM middle school girls narrate their STEM identities in this informal learning environment. Using quantitative analyses and deductive coding methods, we explored how elements of girls’ STEM identities were shaped during and after their participation in the STEM summer camp. Findings from our study highlight (1) quantitative changes in girl participants’ STEM identities, sense of belonging in STEM, and perceived STEM ability belief, (2) qualitative results supporting our quantitative findings, and (3) how the intersectionality of participants’ race and gender played a role in their STEM identities. This study points to the potential of STEM informal learning camps as a way of developing and fostering URM girls’ STEM identities.
The Expectancy-Value model has been extensively used to understand students' achievement motivation. However, recent studies propose the inclusion of cost as a separate construct from values, leading to the development of the Expectancy-Value-Cost model. This study aimed to adapt Kosovich et al.’s ( The Journal of Early Adolescence, 35, 5–6, 2015) instrument for assessing achievement motivation in science and math among Spanish-speaking students aged 9–12. The psychometric evaluation encompassed examining validity, reliability, and measurement invariance for gender. The findings support the applicability of the expectancy-value-cost model in elementary school students, providing a valid and reliable tool for assessing achievement motivation in the science and math domain. However, the findings for the measurement invariance for gender are less conclusive and warrant future psychometric evaluations. This study opens avenues for future research on achievement motivation in Spanish-speaking contexts and populations.
STEM disciplines are considered essential for human development, and they are associated with low unemployment rates and good economic prospects. However, many countries are faced with the problem of too few STEM graduates, which raises the question of why more students do not choose STEM majors. This study presents a systematic mapping of studies published prior to 2021 in Web of Science or Scopus in order to examine the research trends on the factors that cause students to choose a career in Computer Science, or more generically, in the STEM fields. These factors have been identified and classified in 3 categories: Environmental factors, Social influencers and Personal factors. The categories are made up of 4 levels of subcategories. We analyzed (1) the countries in which the study was conducted, (2) the characteristics of the study and (3) the frameworks used. The results show that the bulk of the studies were conducted in developed countries, mainly in North America and Europe. The frameworks most commonly used in the studies are Expectancy-Value Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory, and consequently, the most commonly studied factors for STEM degrees are those related to personal psychological factors. For Computer Science degrees, the most frequently studied factor is career prospects. On the other hand, a small number of studies on the impact of social media on the choice of studies in the technology field were detected. Among the studies analyzed, there is great interest in determining the factors that specifically affect women and the differences between men and women, especially in studies dealing with the Computer Sciences. Furthermore, there are few studies that analyze the effect of informal educational experiences among women. Given that this kind of experiences has become very popular in recent years among women, future research should analyze their impact on the choice of STEM studies. Taking into account the current relevance of the social media, additional research on their impact on the choice of studies should be conducted. It would also be necessary to analyze the situation in underdeveloped countries, especially among women, given that this field is currently a driver of economic development.
Introducción: El objetivo del estudio fue la validación psicométrica de una escala de elaboración propia para medir la percepción de apoyo organizacional y contextual sobre el fomento hacia las disciplinas STEM (ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas por sus siglas en inglés) para estudiantes de nivel medio superior. Método: El cuestionario fue administrado a papel y lápiz de forma anónima y cada participante brindó su consentimiento informado al comenzar el cuestionario. Se realizó un muestreo determinístico a 390 estudiantes que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Resultados: Para la validez de contenido se realizó una consulta a expertos sobre el tema, y la validez de constructo se estimó realizando un análisis factorial exploratorio (AFE), mediante el método de extracción de factores por máxima verosimilitud con rotación oblimin directo, reportando cargas factoriales superiores a 0.5. Para validar el modelo teórico se realizó de igual forma un Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC) que permitió demostrar la validez de la estructura previamente obtenida, pero con ajustes. Se estimaron los indicadores de ajuste del modelo de medida, (χ2= 15.20, gl= 8, p > 0.055, SRMR=0.05, AGFI=0.96, RMSEA 0.04 IC90[0.00-0.08], TLI=0.98, y CFI=0.99), cuyos valores obtenidos, al igual que los de fiabilidad se consideran aceptables de acuerdo con los estándares reportados en la literatura. Discusión o Conclusión: El modelo de medida se corrobora con ajustes a la estructura teórica según lo que se reporta en los indicadores de ajuste tanto del análisis factorial exploratorio como del confirmatorio. Los resultados presentan una contribución importante en la medición de los elementos que coadyuvan al fomento de vocaciones en disciplinas STEM. Desde una mirada metodológica se propone
This thesis investigates the interplay between students attitudes towards the science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning areas—the STEM subjects—as taught in Australian high-schools and their intentions to enrol in these subject areas in post-compulsory education. Falling enrolment rates in these areas have attracted much attention in recent years and there have been numerous strategies implemented in an attempt to reduce the declines. A common approach to addressing the problem of declining participation has been to devise strategies that target students’ attitudes towards the STEM subjects with the implication that positive attitudes increases the likelihood of continued student enrolments. Research findings have provided different insights into students’ intentions or enrolments, though there has been little conclusive evidence of an association between intentions and enrolments.
Given the lack of clarity surrounding some of these issues apparent in the research corpus, this thesis takes a novel approach to address a number of methodological impediments to further progress in this field. In studying changes in students’ attitudes towards individual STEM subjects this study also considered students’ changes in attitudes towards the academic aspects of school more generally. This approach enables a measure of student attitudes to school subjects overall, to be used as a point of reference against which to assess attitudes specifically in relation to the STEM subjects. Further, while the majority of attitude studies have been cross-sectional—either surveying a single age cohort at a point in time, or surveying different age cohorts and drawing conclusions about differences—this thesis adopted a longitudinal approach to the research design. Finally, in contrast to common media rhetoric, enrolment trends and attitudinal patterns across the wide range of STEM subject areas were investigated and were not limited to just science and mathematics.
This thesis explores the nexus between enrolments and attitudes through the format of two introductory chapters, four published and one unpublished journal articles, and a general discussion combining the conclusions of each article with each other and with the existing literature.
The first two papers illustrate how patterns of student participation in the STEM subject areas in Australian high-schools have changed since 1992 onward. The data were then interrogated in search of common enrolment themes and correlations. It was found that the enrolment patterns and the scale of the changes in them were noticeably different for each of the STEM subjects indicating that they were each subject to separate underlying influences.
The third paper presents the development, validation and use of the School Science Attitude Survey (SSAS). This digital survey instrument captures students’ self-measures of attitudes towards school subjects, across seven attitudinal constructs and enables changes in those attitudes to be investigated using Attitude Profiles and Attitude trajectories. The fourth and fifth papers make use of the SSAS data to investigate changes in attitudes for Year 7 students across science, mathematics and technologies, and to analyse differences in attitude trajectories for students in science as they proceed through Year 7 and 8.
The SSAS also obtained qualitative data around changes to student attitudes that were analysed though the use of network maps. These revealed that among many explanatory factors offered by students, there were a small number of key explanations that were particularly central to the formation and refinement of attitudes towards STEM areas.
Following this approach, this thesis shows that while participation rates in some STEM subject areas continue to decline, albeit slowly, other areas are either stable or experiencing mild growth. It is also shown that students’ attitudes towards STEM subjects are strongly interrelated with the nature of the attitudes that students hold for those subjects.
The number of women and underrepresented individuals working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields does not reflect the diversity of our societies. Even if children have an interest in STEM, they may not consider choosing a study or career in that direction if their perception is that they would not belong in science. This study examines the effects of a STEM lesson series aimed at inclusivity and diversity on children’s perception and sense of belonging in space science. Before and after the lesson series, children filled out a questionnaire aimed at eliciting their perception of space science and space scientists. After the lessons, a subsample of children was interviewed about the effects of the lesson series on the children’s perception and sense of belonging regarding space science. Six months after the last lesson took place, children from two classes filled out a short survey with open questions to measure retention. The results of this study showed that the lesson series had a significant impact on children’s perception of space scientists, and that the implementation of the lessons facilitated thinking about (a future in) space science. This lesson series has succeeded in changing children’s perception of space scientists as a diverse and international group of people.
Dance may not seem like it has much to do with computing but there are some clear links between dance and computing. Basically, a dance is just a series to follow. To dance we have to follow the steps exactly in a defined and repeated order. The same loop we need to execute again and again. This same concept we implement in algorithms. Step by step formation of instructions leads to an algorithm in the programming languages of computer science. A dance is just an algorithm executed by people that is enjoyable to watch. Writing a program and choreographing a dance is very similar to each other. Dance and computing could be a great fusion in coming future for the one who is technical by profession and dancer by passion or vice versa. The primary objective of this study is to understand relation between dance and computing, understanding its practical implementation and obstacles if any.
Science demonstrations are a simple, cost-effective method of improving interest in STEM and highlighting the diversity of scientists, which can impact audience members’ sense of belonging and, in turn, influence self-efficacy. However, the pedagogy of science demonstrations has been criticized as creating a power imbalance between the presenter and audience, for being too far removed from the audience’s prior experiences, and for lacking interactivity. We report here on an intervention that designed demonstration-experiments to address a lack of interactivity while supporting interest; contextualized demonstrations within everyday experiences to address a lack of prior experiences and support interest, and implemented a near-peer role modeling strategy through high school near-peer role models to address power imbalances while supporting self-efficacy and expanding fourth-grade students’ perceptions of who can be a scientist. The study explores the effects of the intervention using a pre-post survey design analyzed by repeated measures multiple analysis of variance (rmMANOVA) (n = 444). Significant improvement was observed for all motivational variables. These results suggest that interactive science demonstrations focused on students’ everyday experiences may be an effective strategy to foster STEM interest and self-efficacy and to improve perceptions of who can be a scientist when enacted through high school near-peer role models.
This study aimed to determine whether science standard type had a significant impact on student interest in science, technology, engineering, math, and overall STEM. The study was conducted with a sample population of ninth and tenth grade students in Pennsylvania enrolled in science classes at school districts implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or the traditional Pennsylvania science standards. The study also focused on the differences between male and female interest in STEM. The Science Technology Engineering and Math Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS), a Likert-style survey, was digitally administered to participants and a MANOVA was utilized to compare mean scores on the instrument subscales and overall scores. The results showed a statistically significant difference in science and technology subtest scores and for the overall STEM score based on standard type. There was no statistically significant difference in the interest in STEM overall between male and female participants when analyzed based on standard type. Implications for practice and suggestions for future study are offered.
We examined how upper secondary school students perceive the usefulness and difficulty of biology disciplines. Czech students (N = 192) from three schools answered a questionnaire with 5-point Likert scales. We tested the influence of gender and experience with the individual biological disciplines at upper secondary school on the perception of the biological disciplines. We examined differences among the perception of individual biological disciplines. All disciplines were perceived as useful for life which did not change during studies. Human biology was perceived as the most useful for life, protozoology was considered the least useful followed by mycology and cell biology. Girls perceived several disciplines as more useful than did boys. The perceived difficulty of some disciplines decreased during studies. Genetics was perceived as the most difficult followed by cell biology. Ecology and environmental protection were perceived as the easiest disciplines. Further research is needed to explain whether pupils feel studying biology answered their questions about nature or their fulfilled their expectations about the complexity of science.
There have been increasing concerns about the significant decline in teenagers’ intentions to pursue STEM subjects or careers. This study examined how students’ perceptions of parental expectations, STEM cultural capital, mathematics/science self-efficacy, gender, and parents’ jobs were associated with STEM career aspirations and tested whether these associations differed by school level. Data were collected from 1,864 junior and 665 senior secondary students in Hong Kong via an online survey. Results indicated that, perceived parental long-term expectations were closely linked to STEM career aspirations, whereas, perceived parental short-term expectations were closely linked to self-efficacy. Out-of-school STEM experiences and STEM media consumption both had positive impacts on aspirations and shaped different aspects of students’ perceived parental expectations. Additionally, significant gender differences were found in STEM media consumption, self-efficacy, and aspirations. These relationships mainly were invariant across school levels. However, the indirect paths from STEM media consumption to aspirations via self-efficacy varied significantly between junior and senior secondary students. Based on these findings, this study argues for the essential role of perceived parental expectations in shaping STEM career aspirations for teenagers. STEM cultural capital may be more productive and supportive if it promotes teenagers’ interpretations of parental expectations and their mathematics and science self-efficacy.
The growth of a STEM-focused economy has intensified the focus on developing kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) students’ STEM competencies and on the STEM practices of K-12 STEM teachers. The present study utilised secondary analysis of nationally-representative STEM teacher survey data to examine the ways in which middle grades teachers’ perceptions of their instructional practices are impacted by the contexts in which teachers work. Statistically significant school- and teacher-level predictors in all areas of the Supportive Contexts for Teachers’ Learning (SCTL) framework suggest that building teachers’ professional capacity, providing coherent instructional guidance, leadership, and provision of adequate time and funding are impactful areas of study for those seeking to improve middle grades STEM instruction. This study’s focus on a core set of malleable factors has the potential to provide actionable information to middle grades district and school personnel on what levers can be adjusted to improve STEM teaching and learning.
Researchers using latent class (LC) analysis often proceed using the following three steps: (1) an LC model is built for a set of response variables, (2) subjects are assigned to LCs based on their posterior class membership probabilities, and (3) the association between the assigned class membership and external variables is investigated using simple cross-tabulations or multinomial logistic regression analysis. Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars (2004) demonstrated that such a three-step approach underestimates the associations between covariates and class membership. They proposed resolving this problem by means of a specific correction method that involves modifying the third step. In this article, I extend the correction method of Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars by showing that it involves maximizing a weighted log-likelihood function for clustered data. This conceptualization makes it possible to apply the method not only with categorical but also with continuous explanatory variables, to obtain correct tests using complex sampling variance estimation methods, and to implement it in standard software for logistic regression analysis. In addition, a new maximum likelihood (ML)-based correction method is proposed, which is more direct in the sense that it does not require analyzing weighted data. This new three-step ML method can be easily implemented in software for LC analysis. The reported simulation study shows that both correction methods perform very well in the sense that their parameter estimates and their SEs can be trusted, except for situations with very poorly separated classes. The main advantage of the ML method compared with the Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars approach is that it is much more efficient and almost as efficient as one-step ML estimation. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Political Methodology. All rights reserved.
Low participation rates in the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) post-16 are a matter of international concern. Existing evidence suggests children’s science aspirations are largely formed within the critical 10 to 14 age period. This article reports on survey data from over 9,000 elementary school children in England (age 10/11) and qualitative data from 160 semi-structured interviews (92 children aged 10/11 and 78 parents), collected as part of an ongoing 5-year longitudinal study in the United Kingdom tracking children from 10 to 14. Drawing on the conceptual framework of Bourdieu, the article explores how the interplay of family habitus and capital can make science aspirations more “thinkable” for some (notably middle-class) children than others. It is argued that while family habitus is not deterministic (there is no straightforward alignment between family habitus, capital, and a child’s science aspirations), social inequalities in the distribution of capital and differentially classed family habitus combine to produce uneven (classed, racialized) patterns in children’s science aspirations and potential future participation.
Latent class analysis is used in the political science literature in both substantive applications and as a tool to estimate
measurement error. Many studies in the social and political sciences relate estimated class assignments from a latent class
model to external variables. Although common, such a “three-step” procedure effectively ignores classification error in the
class assignments; Vermunt (2010, “Latent class modeling with covariates: Two improved three-step approaches,” Political Analysis 18:450–69) showed that this leads to inconsistent parameter estimates and proposed a correction. Although this correction
for bias is now implemented in standard software, inconsistency is not the only consequence of classification error. We demonstrate
that the correction method introduces an additional source of variance in the estimates, so that standard errors and confidence
intervals are overly optimistic when not taking this into account. We derive the asymptotic variance of the third-step estimates
of interest, as well as several candidate-corrected sample estimators of the standard errors. These corrected standard error
estimators are evaluated using a Monte Carlo study, and we provide practical advice to researchers as to which should be used
so that valid inferences can be obtained when relating estimated class membership to external variables.
The underrepresentation of girls from nondominant backgrounds in the sciences and engineering continues despite recent gains in achievement. This longitudinal ethnographic study traces the identity work that girls from nondominant backgrounds do as they engage in science-related activities across school, club, and home during the middle school years. Building a conceptual argument for identity trajectories, the authors discuss the ongoing, cumulative, and contentious nature of identity work and the mechanisms that foster critical shifts in trajectories. The authors argue that the girls view possible future selves in science when their identity work is recognized, supported, and leveraged toward expanded opportunities for engagement in science. This process yields layered meanings of (possible) selves and of science and reconfigures meaningful participation in science.
This article offers a review of the major literature about attitudes to science and its implications over the past 20 years. It argues that the continuing decline in numbers choosing to study science at the point of choice requires a research focus on students' attitudes to science if the nature of the problem is to be understood and remediated. Starting from a consideration of what is meant by attitudes to science, it considers the problems inherent to their measurement, what is known about students' attitudes towards science and the many factors of influence such as gender, teachers, curricula, cultural and other variables. The literature itself points to the crucial importance of gender and the quality of teaching. Given the importance of the latter we argue that there is a greater need for research to identify those aspects of science teaching that make school science engaging for pupils. In particular, a growing body of research on motivation offers important pointers to the kind of classroom environment and activities that might raise pupils' interest in studying school science and a focus for future research.
The purpose of this study was to design a psychometrically sound instrument to measure adolescents' attitudes toward school, attitudes toward teachers, goal-valuation, motivation, and general academic self-perceptions that could be used to explore the underachievement of academically able secondary school students. The final School Attitude Assessment Survey-Revised (SAAS-R) instrument consisted of 35 questions, each of which being an indicator of one of the five factors. The final model exhibited reasonable fit, X2(550) = 1,581.7, Comparative Fit Index = .91, Tucker Lewis Index = .92, root mean square error of approximation = .059, standardized root mean squared residual = .057. The scores in this study showed internal consistency reliability coefficient of at least .85 on each of the five factors. In addition, four of the five factors of the SAAS-R appear to differentiate gifted achievers from gifted underachievers. It is the authors' hope that the SAAS-R will allow researchers to more fully understand the relationship between these five factors and underachievement in gifted and nongifted populations.
The authors assessed change over 3 years in elementary school children's competence beliefs and subjective task value in the domains of math, reading, instrumental music, and sports. The longitudinal sample consisted of approximately 615 mostly White, lower middle to middle-class children. Stability correlations indicated moderate to strong stability in children's beliefs, especially older children's competence beliefs. The relation of children's ratings of their competence in each domain to estimates of their competence in those domains provided by both parents and teachers increased over the early elementary grades. Children's competence beliefs and ratings of the usefulness and importance of each activity decreased over time. Children's interest in reading and instrumental music decreased, but their interest in sports and math did not. Gender differences in children's competence beliefs and subjective task values did not change over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Examined 1,850 school age children achievement self-perceptions in 4 activity domains (math, English, social activities, and sports) and self-esteem across the transition from elementary to junior high school. Self-esteem scores declined across the transition to junior high, but increased during 7th grade. Self-concepts of ability for math, English, and social activities declined after transition, but perceptions of social ability increased during 7th grade. Perceptions of sports ability declined across 6th and 7th grades. The liking of math and sports declined over time, whereas the liking of English and social activities declined immediately after transition but increased across 7th grade. Many of these changes are attributed to changes in the school and classroom environments encountered on entering junior high school. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Mixture modeling is a widely applied data analysis technique used to identify unobserved heterogeneity in a population. Despite mixture models' usefulness in practice, one unresolved issue in the application of mixture models is that there is not one commonly accepted statistical indicator for deciding on the number of classes in a study population. This article presents the results of a simulation study that examines the performance of likelihood-based tests and the traditionally used Information Criterion (ICs) used for determining the number of classes in mixture modeling. We look at the performance of these tests and indexes for 3 types of mixture models: latent class analysis (LCA), a factor mixture model (FMA), and a growth mixture models (GMM). We evaluate the ability of the tests and indexes to correctly identify the number of classes at three different sample sizes (n D 200, 500, 1,000). Whereas the Bayesian Information Criterion performed the best of the ICs, the bootstrap likelihood ratio test proved to be a very consistent indicator of classes across all of the models considered.
Researchers using latent class (LC) analysis often proceed using the following three steps: (1) an LC model is built for a set of response variables, (2) subjects are assigned to LCs based on their posterior class membership probabilities, and (3) the association between the assigned class membership and external variables is investigated using simple cross-tabulations or multinomial logistic regression analysis. Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars (2004) demonstrated that such a three-step approach underestimates the associations between covariates and class membership. They proposed resolving this problem by means of a specific correction method that involves modifying the third step. In this article, I extend the correction method of Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars by showing that it involves maximizing a weighted log-likelihood function for clustered data. This conceptualization makes it possible to apply the method not only with categorical but also with continuous explanatory variables, to obtain correct tests using complex sampling variance estimation methods, and to implement it in standard software for logistic regression analysis. In addition, a new maximum likelihood (ML)—based correction method is proposed, which is more direct in the sense that it does not require analyzing weighted data. This new three-step ML method can be easily implemented in software for LC analysis. The reported simulation study shows that both correction methods perform very well in the sense that their parameter estimates and their SEs can be trusted, except for situations with very poorly separated classes. The main advantage of the ML method compared with the Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars approach is that it is much more efficient and almost as efficient as one-step ML estimation.
The authors report on two longitudinal studies that explored changes in aspirations, experiences, and attitudes in science over three years among students in California public middle and high schools. One study surveyed an ethnically and economically diverse group of over 400 students who participated voluntarily in 7th through 9th grades, and then interviewed 48 students. The study identified four trajectories that students' interest in science, engineering, and medical (S/E/M) careers took over time and described factors that affected their aspirations. The other study looked in depth at what happened to an equally diverse group of 33 10th graders who were very interested in a S/E/M career. It followed them through the 12th grade to discover what happened to their aspirations in high school.
The authors report on two longitudinal studies that explored changes in aspirations, experiences, and attitudes in science over three years among students in California public middle and high schools. One study surveyed an ethnically and economically diverse group of over 400 students who participated voluntarily in 7th through 9th grades, and then interviewed 48 students. The study identified four trajectories that students’ interest in science, engineering, and medical (S/E/M) careers took over time and described factors that affected their aspirations. The other study looked in depth at what happened to an equally diverse group of 33 10th graders who were very interested in a S/E/M career. It followed them through the 12th grade to discover what happened to their aspirations in high school.
Next Generation Science Standards identifies the science all K-12 students should know. These new standards are based on the National Research Council's A Framework for K-12 Science Education. The National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Achieve have partnered to create standards through a collaborative state-led process. The standards are rich in content and practice and arranged in a coherent manner across disciplines and grades to provide all students an internationally benchmarked science education. The print version of Next Generation Science Standards complements the nextgenscience.org website and: Provides an authoritative offline reference to the standards when creating lesson plans. Arranged by grade level and by core discipline, making information quick and easy to find. Printed in full color with a lay-flat spiral binding. Allows for bookmarking, highlighting, and annotating.
The main purpose of the present study is to investigate middle school students’ science self-efficacy as well as its sources and outcomes as a function of gender. Bandura’s hypothesized sources of self-efficacy (i.e., mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional arousal) in addition to being inviting with self and inviting with others were examined as sources of self-efficacy, while cognitive and metacognitive strategy use was examined as an outcome of self-efficacy. A total of 1,932 students participated in the study and were administered self-report instruments. Results showed that the relationship between science self-efficacy and its proposed sources does not change as a function of gender. All proposed sources, except for vicarious experience, were found to be significantly related to students’ scientific self-efficacy. Moreover, girls were found to experience significantly more emotional arousal and to send positive messages to others more than boys. On the other hand, no gender difference was found concerning science self-efficacy and strategy use. The findings also revealed a positive association between science self-efficacy and strategy use. Overall, findings supported Bandura’s conception of self-efficacy and suggested invitations as additional sources of self-efficacy.
This paper examines the experiences reported by scientists and graduate students regarding the experiences that first engaged them in science. The interviews analysed for this paper come from Project Crossover, a mixed-methods study of the transition from graduate student to PhD scientist in the fields of chemistry and physics. This analysis involved review of 116 interviews collected from graduate students and scientists and focused on the timing, source, and nature of their earliest interest in science. The majority (65%) of participants reported that their interest in science began before middle school. Females were more likely to report that their interest was sparked by school-related activities, while most males recounted self-initiated activities. Our findings indicate that current policy efforts (which focus on high school science reform) to increase the numbers of students studying in the science fields, may be misguided.
We demonstrate that, under a theorem proposed by Q.H. Vuong [Econometrica 57, No. 2, 307-333 (1989; Zbl 0701.62106)], the likelihood ratio statistic based on the Kullback-Leibler information criterion or the null hypothesis that a random sample is drawn from a k 0 -component normal mixture distribution against the alternative hypothesis that the sample is drawn from a k 1 -component normal mixture distribution is asymptotically distributed as a weighted sum of independent chi-squared random variables with one degree of freedom, under general regularity conditions. We report simulation studies of two cases where we are testing a single normal versus a two-component normal mixture and a two-component normal mixture versus a three-component normal mixture. An empirical adjustment to the likelihood ratio statistic is proposed that appears to improve the rate of convergence to the limiting distribution.
Drawing from a sample of 1,126 10th-grade students across four school districts in Southern California, this study examined the net effects of family - and science class - related variables on students' interests in a physical science and/or engineering career, with particular attention to variations in these relationships by students' gender and racial/ethnic background. Findings indicate the role of family science orientation is contingent less on gender than on race/ethnicity, and students' perceptions of their science class experiences are not strongly related to their science career aspirations regardless of gender and race/ethnicity. Implications for patterns of underrepresentation in the science and engineering pipeline are discussed.
The authors of this article argue both the urgency and the promise of establishing a constructive conversation among different bodies of research, including science interest, sociocultural studies in science education, and culturally relevant teaching. With the instructional practices of eight exemplary African American elementary teachers serving their investigative site, they begin to develop a theory for promoting student interest in science. They argue that this emerging theory is distinguishable by three broad propositions: having a genuine interest, scaffolding student interest, and offering multiple standpoints. They further show that their theory based on these three related propositions has provided an important framework to better understand a number of important issues in science education (e.g., early interest in science and hands-on science activities).
This article offers a review of the major literature about attitudes to science and its implications over the past 20 years. It argues that the continuing decline in numbers choosing to study science at the point of choice requires a research focus on students? attitudes to science if the nature of the problem is to be understood and remediated. Starting from a consideration of what is meant by attitudes to science, it considers the problems inherent to their measurement and what is known about students' attitudes towards science and the many factors of influence such as gender, teachers, curricula, cultural and other variables. The literature itself points to the crucial importance of gender and the quality of teaching. Given the importance of the latter we argue that there is a greater need for research to identify those aspects of science teaching that make school science engaging for pupils. In particular, a growing body of research on motivation offers important pointers to the kind of classroom environment and activities that might raise pupils' interest in studying school science and a focus for future research.
This paper considers a wide class of latent structure models. These models can serve as possible explanations of the observed
relationships among a set of m manifest polytomous variables. The class of models considered here includes both models in which the parameters are identifiable
and also models in which the parameters are not. For each of the models considered here, a relatively simple method is presented
for calculating the maximum likelihood estimate of the frequencies in the m-way contingency table expected under the model, and for determining whether the parameters in the estimated model are identifiable.
In addition, methods are presented for testing whether the model fits the observed data, and for replacing unidentifiable
models that fit by identifiable models that fit. Some illustrative applications to data are also included.
With the growth of the field of sport psychology has come a growing interest and concern over gender differences in achievement and participation in various sports. Why do girls and boys differ from one another in their participation rates and participation patterns in sports? Over the past 10 years, Eccles and her colleagues have put together a theoretical model for analyzing the motivational factors underlying individuals' decisions regarding achievement-related choices. This paper describes this theoretical model and uses data from two studies, one focusing on adolescents, and one focusing on elementary school-aged children, to evaluate the utility of this model for understanding gender differences in sport participation. It reaches the following conclusions: (a) the Eccles et al. model holds for sport as well as, if not better than, it does for academic subjects; (b) gender differences in children's attitudes toward sport are quite strong and emerge at a very young age; and (c) these gender differences seem to be a consequence more of gender-role socialization than of “natural” aptitudinal differences.
To encourage students to seek careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, it is important to gauge students’ implicit and explicit attitudes towards scientific professions. We asked high school and college students to rate the similarity of pairs of occupations, and then used multidimensional scaling (MDS) to create a spatial representation of occupational similarity. Other students confirmed the emergent MDS map by rating each of the occupations along several dimensions. We found that participants across age and sex considered scientific professions to be less creative and less people‐oriented than other popular career choices. We conclude that students may be led away from STEM careers by common misperceptions that science is a difficult, uncreative, and socially isolating pursuit.
The twenty‐first century is characterized by multiple, frequent and remarkable scientific advancements, which have a major effect on the decisions that govern everyday life. It is therefore vital to give proper comprehensive scientific education to the population and provide it with the right tools for decision‐making. This in turn requires that we foster a positive attitude among students towards science studies and encourage them to choose sciences as their major subjects. The following study examines 10th‐grade high school students in an attempt to understand and document the influential factors underlying their attitudes towards science studies. The study is conducted through a qualitative research methodology, gathering data based on interviews. This methodology exposes the students’ feelings, views and beliefs, and explores the characteristics of the factors influencing students’ attitudes. Of these factors, we found the most significant for high school students to be interpersonal interaction between teacher and student, the relevance and authenticity of the topics being studied, and the diversity of the teaching methods. We therefore suggest that these three elements should be given particular emphasis by teachers and teacher educators.
Discusses some uses of latent variable modeling (LVM) in alcohol epidemiology. Problems associated with measurement error are illustrated using computer-simulated data. Examples demonstrate how LVM can be used to represent indirectly observed variables. Additionally, examples of LVM for alcohol abuse and dependence are discussed in detail using data from the Alcohol Supplement of the 1988 National Health Interview Survey. The paper reports that LVM is useful in situations where random or systematic measurement error is a problem, where phenomena under study are not directly observed, and where multiple indicators are needed to describe various aspects of a phenomenon. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
As science educators struggle to reform science education, we need a better understanding of the conundrums associated with the ways educators enact innovative science within and against the “academic,” “rigorous,” and “elite” sociohistorical constructions of science. I ethnographically investigated the meanings of an innovative, reform-based curriculum (Active Physics) in various micro (classroom) and macro (school and community) contexts. I conducted the study in a high school serving primarily upper middle class students, the majority of whom (97%) planned to attend college. I explored how meanings of the curriculum transformed as the curriculum traveled across space and time. While certain aspects of the context enabled innovative science (e.g., support from the administration, pressure to serve a wider range of students), other aspects of the context constrained the potential of the curriculum (e.g., the need to establish for students, parents, and administrators the legitimacy of Active Physics as “real” and “rigorous” physics). Using practice theory to understand the influence of context and agency in shaping school science practice, this study demonstrates the potential for viewing meanings of science in local settings as partially fluid entities, sometimes reproducing and sometimes contesting sociohistorical legacies. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed87:307–328, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10071
This article examines gender differences in science achievements and attitudes during the middle grade, when our nation's scientific pipeline begins to emerge. It uses data from a large, nationally representative sample of eighth-grade students (NELS-88). The findings show that in these grades female students do not lag behind their male classmates in science achievements tests, grades, and course enrollments. Actually, some female students have higher probabilities of enrolling in high-ability classes than males. However, female students have less positive attitudes toward science, participate in fewer relevant extracurricular activities, and aspire less often to science careers than males. Students' science attitudes and career interests vary according to students' gender as well as their racial or ethnic background. These findings emphasize the need to further examine the interrelationships between gender and race or ethnicity in our efforts to understand the processes leading to women's limited participation in science-related careers.
A view of science as a culturally-mediated way of thinking and knowing suggests that learning can be defined as engagement with scientific practices. How students engage in school science is influenced by whether and how students view themselves and whether or not they are the kind of person who engages in science. It is therefore crucial to understand students' identities and how they do or do not overlap with school science identities. In this paper, we describe four middle school African American girls' engagement with science. They were selected in the 7th grade because they expressed a fondness for science in school or because they had science-related hobbies outside of school. The data were collected from the following sources: interviews of students, their parents and their teachers; observations in science classes; journal writing; and focus groups. These girls' stories provide us with a better understanding of the variety of ways girls choose to engage in science and how this engagement is shaped by their views of what kind of girl they are. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 441–458, 2000.
Overview Empirical example: Positive health behaviors Preparing to conduct LCA with covariates LCA with covariates: Model and notation Hypothesis testing in LCA with covariates Interpretation of the intercepts and regression coefficients Empirical examples of LCA with a single covariate Empirical example of multiple covariates and interaction terms Multiple-group LCA with covariates: Model and notation Grouping variable or covariate? Use of a Bayesian prior to stabilize estimation Binomial logistic regression Suggested supplemental readings Points to remember What's next