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Across undergraduate STEM learning contexts in several countries, students' intrapersonal attributes of epistemic beliefs, self-efficacy beliefs, intrinsic motivation, and sense of identity have been found to influence learning and to change in response to educational practices. However, research can mask individual and demographic differences in student's attributes that may moderate or mediate the relationship between educational practices and learning outcomes. We employed variable-centered and person-centered methods to examine individual and demographic differences in changes in students' intrapersonal attributes and patterns of interrelationship among attributes with a study sample of students (N = 4,500) in 14 STEM undergraduate courses (8 biology, 4 chemistry, and 2 statistics) at three research universities in the United States. Variable-centered analyses revealed overall increases in students' science self-efficacy beliefs and epistemic beliefs even though these outcomes were not intentionally targeted as learning objectives. However, person-centered analyses indicated that not all students experienced these gains. For example, self-identified Asian/Pacific Islander and Black students were more likely to be members of groups demonstrating a decrease in science self-efficacy, whereas Asian/Pacific Islander students and men were less likely to be members of the subgroup with consistently evaluativist epistemic beliefs and higher GPAs. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), we identified five distinct student profiles that reflected different patterns of interrelationship of epistemic beliefs, science and writing self-efficacy beliefs, and science identity. We discuss the implications of these findings for educational practices, particularly with regard to intentionally fostering diverse students' self-efficacy, sense of identity, and adaptive epistemic beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many undergraduate students avoid mathematics classes due to math anxiety. This curtails options, particularly STEM majors where workers are needed and jobs are prevalent. This study aimed to investigate whether self-efficacy, mindfulness, and self-compassion predicted math anxiety. Participants of this study were undergraduate students (N = 345) from the Mathematics Department at a large Southeastern U.S. university. There was a significant difference in math anxiety scores between students pursuing STEM and non-STEM degrees. Non-STEM majors had higher scores on a measure of math anxiety. Hierarchical multiple regression results suggested that self-efficacy and self-compassion predicted math anxiety. There was a significant correlation, but not a predictive relationship, between mindfulness and math anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students' interest in STEM careers is governed by various factors: (i) family influences, (ii) out-of-school time learning experiences, (iii) inside-of-school learning experiences, and (iii) media influences. Previous studies often investigate the direct influence of these factors, collectively known as environmental factors, on students' interest in STEM careers. This study explains the role of self-efficacy on environmental factors that affect students' interest in STEM careers through a structural equation model. This study involved 14-year-old secondary school students who were selected based on cluster sampling and a total of 1800 students were chosen. However, only 1485 responses were considered valid for analysis. Survey design was utilised in the study. Structural equation modelling analysis was used to analyse the data. The results of the survey demonstrated that the effects of family influences and out-of-school time learning experiences on interest in STEM careers were fully mediated by self-efficacy except for media influences that affected interest both directly and indirectly via self-efficacy (partial mediator). Inside-of-school learning experiences did not affect self-efficacy and interest in STEM careers. STEM learning experiences through informal modality are better predictors of students' interest in STEM careers. Improving formal STEM learning is imperative to ensure that STEM careers are promoted to all school students in a systemic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gender gap persists in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Although females constitute half the total workforce in the United States, they make up just greater than a quarter of employees in STEM fields. In recent years, one approach to addressing the gender gap in STEM has involved middle grades science teachers helping young adolescent females view themselves as potential scientists from a young age. Through a variety of targeted strategies, science teachers have supported female students in building STEM self-efficacy by encouraging their participation in varied initiatives. This qualitative multi-case study investigated how two middle grades science teachers build STEM self-efficacy in female students both during and outside of formal instruction. Data sources included surveys, interviews, and classroom artifacts. Findings featured specific examples of classroom initiatives that participants believed built female students' self-efficacy as well as participants' reasoning for the initiatives' use and perceived outcomes of their utility. Our findings also indicated that participants' efforts to build female students' STEM self-efficacy were hampered by participants' lack of clarity regarding the meanings of STEM education and STEM self-efficacy. Implications for middle grades teacher education and STEM-focused professional development are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate howHarmony Public Schools' (HPS) ' Class of 2024 high school students' current selves (high school experience, math and science efficacy, parent, and teacher expectations) affect to possible future selves (i.e. choosing a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [STEM]-major in college). 1464 tenth grade students participated in the study. We utilised logistic regressions for the study. It was found that males are 1.9 times more likely to consider STEM majors in college. African American students are least likely to choose STEM majors compared to all other ethnicities. Students who had STEM professional relatives are more likely to choose a STEM major in college. Students with higher self and parent encouragements are 1.2 and 1.3 times more likely to select a STEM major after graduation, respectively. Students with more STEM club participation, more STEM competitions (e.g. science fairs, mathematics Olympiads etc.), and higher GPA scores are more likely to plan majoring in STEM areas in college compared to less of each. Finally, students with higher math self-efficacy and science self-efficacy scores are 1.3 and 1.5 times more likely to choose a STEM-related area in college compared to students with lower math and science self-efficacy scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hands-on activities and makerspaces have rapidly gained popularity in recent years. One of the reasons for this is that they have the potential to stimulate interest and identity development in STEM or STEAM. Taiwan has organized many technology and science competitions for students to raise their interest and creativity in the past years. The iSTEAM contest in Taiwan plan to assist public schools in rural areas to develop students' capability in making activities. To motivate rural students to experience an integrated science, technology, engineering, art, and math (iSTEAM) contest, this study invited rural school students to prepare for and join a competition focusing on making miniature models. The related variables relevant to motivation orientation, such as participants' hands-on making self-efficacy, perceived value, cooperative attitude, and competition preparedness in the iSTEAM contest were explored. Expectedly, with an understanding of the correlates between those variables, the results of this study can be applied to successfully implement other STEAM contests. A total of 187 students who participated in the competition filled in the questionnaire for the survey participants. After invalid questionnaires were excluded, 167 valid questionnaires were obtained. This study adopts the purposive sampling method, based on the value-attitude-behavior model, the quantitative research method was adopted. The results showed that students who participated in the competition had high self-efficacy for making miniature models, appreciated the value that the competition brought them, and had a positive attitude about cooperating with team members as well as preparing for the competition. There is a close and positive correlation between the four constructs of self-efficacy, perceived value, cooperative attitude, and competition preparedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of information technology changes, not all students will have access to the means to prepare for this future of work. In addressing this issue, in this study, the authors investigate the impact of a 'Making as Micro-Manufacturing (M2)' model in motivating STEM-activity participation and developing self-efficacy among high-schoolers hailing from an underserved community. The approach involved integrating practice-based learning and activities into a high-school class curriculum resulting in the production of small-batch volumes of products in real-world settings for everyday use like instructional kits for elementary school learning. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to ascertain the differences in students' Making and engineering self-efficacy tendencies. Our results saw increases in the students' Making and engineering self-efficacy across multiple dimensions and in-situ during a production process. In addition, our results also quantify and characterize that kinds of helping behaviours that occur in the students' own self-organised production team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of COVID-19, various forms of education and teaching are moving online. However, the notion of an online STEM camp is still in its beginnings, and there is little relevant research and experience in this context. At the beginning of April 2021, the research team launched an online STEM charity camp with the theme of "Shen Nong Tastes Herbs." Participants included 113 third- and fourth-grade primary school students ranging from 8 to 12 years of age from four schools in Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with weak educational capabilities. The camp lasted for 3 days and included 7 activities, while remote teaching was accomplished through Dingtalk. Pre- and post-test questionnaires and interviews were used to explore the impact of this camp on students. We found that online STEM camps could improve students' self-efficacy, computational thinking, and task value, and there is a significant improvement in the self-efficacy (p = 0.000) and task value (p = 0.001) dimensions. In addition, students with high self-efficacy had higher scores in the other two dimensions. Finally, we summarized the experiences and gains of students and teachers and proposed suggestions for developing online camps based on this experience. What Is Already Known About this Topic • STEM and robotics education have a positive impact on student development. • Students' self-efficacy, computational thinking, and task value are very important and popular research areas in STEM education. • STEM education camps can promote students' teamwork skills and other abilities. However, due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is little research concerning online STEM education. What this Paper Contributes • An online STEM education charity camp was launched for schools with weak educational capabilities. • Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the online camp effectively integrated traditional Chinese herbal medicine culture, LEGO robots, and STEM knowledge. • This paper explored the relationship among students'' self-efficacy, computational thinking and task value. Implications for Practice and/or Policy • This paper developed an online STEM course with multidisciplinary integration to provide ideas for instructional designers. • This paper summarized the experience of online STEM education camps and provided suggestions for the implementation of online camps in the future. • This paper encouraged more educators to pay attention to students living in areas with weak educational capabilities and to actually promote the balanced development of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is sometimes criticized for lacking approaches to present real-world practices and phenomena beyond naked eyes. Head-mounted display virtual reality (HMD VR) provides opportunities to solve this issue. However, little is known about the impact of this approach on student's self-efficacy in science. This study is to address this knowledge gap. Sixty-six 11th grade students were recruited to participate in an HMD VR learning activity. Half of these students filled in a science self-efficacy questionnaire before the VR learning activity, and the others filled in it after the activity. The study compared (1) students' science self-efficacy between these two conditions and (2) students' post-activity science self-efficacy among different science-class grading score groups. Results showed that the change of students' science self-efficacy was not significant after the learning activity and the differences among most science-class grading score groups were small. After the results were analyzed, the capability of affording gestures and physical movement was recognized as an important factor that determined whether an HMD VR learning environment could significantly enhance students' science self-efficacy; educators were suggested to not use science class scores to predict students' potential and future achievements in science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How can the interweaving of knowledge silos help to engage girls who are becoming disinterested in science? This study describes how convergence points in research practices within the fields of art and science can mitigate gender stereotypes associated with the STEM field. A case study of four women working at the intersection of art and science revealed common aspects of their practices: an appreciation of the natural world, a sense of aesthetics, a drawing practice and a reliance on meaningful research questions, suggesting that these can act as bridges between both fields of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically women have been underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Some scholars have suggested that science self-concept perceptions have contributed to this gender gap. We propose and empirically examine a model of the relationships between gender, sexual orientation, science self-efficacy, and science identity. Specifically, we hypothesise that a key explanation for why gender differences in science identity exist may be that science self-efficacy is intervening in the relationship between gender and science identity. Surveys were administered to 964 first-year university students in the U.S. Science self-efficacy mediated the relationship between gender and science identity for heterosexual students, but not for non-heterosexual students. Whereas external factors that may affect gender differences in science self-concept perceptions should be considered, such as boosting females' participation in science courses, the internal self-concept perceptions that individuals use to make decisions about STEM are of particular importance. Our results help to provide a better understanding of the roles that gender and sexual orientation play in science self-efficacy and science identity, and we hope that a better grasp of these relationships offers a step toward addressing the projected shortage of STEM workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education is attracting increasing public interest and policy attention and being promoted at different educational levels in Cambodia. Purpose: The study seeks to identify factors associated with Cambodian university freshmen's choice of STEM major and how significant associations differ by gender and university location. Sample: The study draws on primary data collected from a survey of 2,016 freshmen at 15 universities across Cambodia. Design and method: Binary logistic regression was applied to detect correlates of major choice (dichotomized into STEM major and non-STEM major). Results: Students who choose a STEM major are likely to be male, have clearly prioritized the major since high school, have high self-efficacy in the chosen major, want a career in STEM, enrol at a Phnom Penh-based university, excel at mathematics at high school, excel at science at high school, have no job while studying, and value the importance of science and technology to society. When moderated by gender and university location, only excellence in mathematics, excellence in science, and STEM career prospects remained significantly associated with STEM major choice. Conclusion: Student experience in learning mathematics and science subjects at high school and their exposure to career information and guidance are vital in widening participation in STEM disciplines at higher education level in Cambodia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relations between gender roles, career self-efficacy, and career development of STEM gifted girls in high schools and universities in Taiwan, from a developmental perspective. It includes two studies. In Study 1, 473 gifted girls from eight high schools in Taiwan participated, and, based on a self-reported survey, the results indicated 52.5% possessed neutral characteristics and it also implied that they simultaneously possessed masculine and feminine characteristics. Meanwhile, the higher the social gender-role awareness and career self-efficacy, the better was that individual's career development. However, when compared to gifted girls in language/social sciences, the career self-efficacy and career development of STEM gifted girls was significantly lower. Later, 70 gifted girls continually participated in Study 2, on a voluntary basis. We found that although STEM gifted girls had their own goals and direction when it came to universities, the higher they are in the education stage, the lower the career self-efficacy and lower science learning interest they may have. This would have a certain degree of impact on their subsequent career development. Thus, a well-designed career program and mentorship for gifted girls are needed to address the current issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify elements of personal knowledge that were hypothesized to underlie within-person, across-context variations in students' appraisals of self-efficacy for coping with challenges encountered in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Freshman in a college of engineering completed assessments of (a) 4 elements of personal knowledge regarding themselves and their educational resources; (b) their subjective beliefs about links between these 4 personal and social qualities and each of 32 specific educational challenges; and (c) perceived self-efficacy for successfully handling each of the 32 challenges. Individual students' self-efficacy appraisals commonly varied substantially within-person, across contexts. This variability was predictable. Students displayed relatively high (low) self-efficacy within subsets of situations they subjectively linked to positively (negatively) valenced knowledge that they possessed, a finding consistent with the knowledge-and-appraisal model of personality architecture that guided the research. Additional analyses demonstrated that students with similar overall academic self-efficacy scores may display markedly different profiles of self-efficacy appraisal across context. Students' narrative accounts enriched understanding of these profile patterns. Educational Impact and Implications Statement: This study introduces novel methods for assessing the beliefs of individual STEM students and the specific social contexts in which these beliefs come into play. Findings show that our assessments predict both consistency and variability in student's confidence in their ability to handle challenges encountered in STEM education. Because our assessment methods provide richer, more nuanced information about individual students than the assessments commonly found in the scientific literature, they may be of particular value to school counselors and advisors who need to understand idiosyncrasies in the beliefs and social experiences of the individual student. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the underlying relationship between e-learning practice and the institutional environments hosted in, the Chinese educational practice on branching high school students into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM academic major groups before being admitted into universities or colleges is examined. By extending the well-established Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with computer self-efficacy, this study aims to examine the difference in perceptions and behaviours on e-learning adoption from the STEM and non-STEM students. The results revealed that STEM's score of computer self-efficacy, perceived ease of use and behavioural intention to use e-learning are all greater than non-STEM's. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underrepresented minority women in STEM comprise the faculty group most likely to leave academia. To address this issue we instituted a program called "Amplifying Voices," a virtual, mutual mentoring program linking four groups of six women across 20 institutions. We facilitated bi-weekly Zoom meetings for two years and evaluated the effectiveness of the program. Participants reported reduced isolation, increased confidence, and enhanced self-efficacy. The groups were considered most successful when comprised of women who had similar career goals, but different perspectives, experiences, academic ranks and institutional affiliations. To inform future mentoring efforts, we identified issues and strategies frequently discussed in meetings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toward the end of 6th grade, some bright and highly motivated science-oriented Israeli students and their parents are required to make a decision: whether or not to enrol in a non-mandatory advanced science programme for 7th graders (≈12 year olds) upon entering middle-school. In other words, for many students, entry into the STEM pipeline begins at an earlier age than previously reported and, to date, reasons for doing so are unknown. The aim of this study was to identify and model the factors that contributed to enrolment. Data collected from 7th graders in three Israeli middle-schools (N = 615) included self-efficacy and interest in STEM learning, perceived parental encouragement to learn STEM, perceived peer interest in STEM, recollections of STEM learning in primary schools and participation in informal STEM programmes. Path analysis showed that 'self-efficacy', 'parents', 'peers' and 'participation' directly predicted enrolment. Self-efficacy mediated the effects of environmental variables on academic choice. The significant effect of participation in informal STEM programmes points toward an even earlier entry into the STEM pipeline. Quantitative content analysis was used to categorise the reasons for enrolling in the advanced science programmes (N = 179). Unexpectedly, students overwhelmingly cited practical importance ('utility value') vis-à-vis short, medium and long-term goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postdoctoral pathway to the professoriate is an important source of future faculty talent. This paper focuses on underrepresented minority (URM) postdocs and the challenges they face as they prepare for tenure track positions in the academy. To date, much of the research on URM success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has focused on student interest in STEM fields and STEM curricula, both at the K-12 and undergraduate levels. By comparison, very little attention has been given to studying the career issues of URM STEM postdocs seeking to enter the professoriate, especially from a critical race lens. The postdocs who participated in our study completed an interview, which probed self-efficacy, sense of belonging, social identity, and challenges in the field. After coding and the analysis, 26 sub-themes emerged including feelings about the culture of their work environment and perceptions of stereotypes and biases. The results of the study, which are broadly applicable, have improved our understanding of the factors affecting the progression of URM postdocs into the professoriate and have informed mentor training and career success strategies for URM postdocs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impacts of STEM project-/problem-based learning (PBL) on students. Topics includes prototyping as a key transition element for PBL process which develop self-efficacy individually; use of PBL as a dynamic learning process, allows learners to gain experiences with real-world applicability; and PBL skillsets that requires students to use critical-thinking processes. It mentions that PBL's goal is to make behavioral changes by long term training.

In the present day, it is not uncommon for there to be a class full of engineering students with very few women among them. To combat this lack of gender diversity, colleges and universities have employed outreach programs and developed summer engagement opportunities that allow women to explore engineering before they graduate high school. The present research, an extension of work previously presented at the 2018 American Society of Engineering Education conference, was conducted at the University of Dayton to evaluate the effects of a single-sex camp and a co-ed residential engineering camp on female participants' interest in and self-efficacy related to engineering. Surveys were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data, and observation provided additional context. Data was collected at a total of four engineering camps during the summers of 2017 and 2018. Analysis of the survey responses indicated that these engineering camps have a significant impact on female participants' self-efficacy in engineering, indicating the importance of coordinating camp activities that engage participants' creativity while building their confidence in engineering. Furthermore, the way engineering camp activities are presented may affect participants' perceptions of their own abilities in engineering. These findings add to the existing body of research exploring engineering self-efficacy and the participation of women in engineering, in addition to the effects of K-12 engineering outreach and camp programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of mobile assisted language learning (MALL) in vocabulary learning among English foreign language learners in China with a lens on academic major difference. This study hypothesizes that academic majors including Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and non-STEM differentiate the learners' perception of computer self-efficacy (CSE) and MALL learning performance as well as moderate the effect of CSE on language learning performance.Design/methodology/approach Sample data for this study were collected from 200 university students enrolled in both STEM and non-STEM majors. Under the quasi-experiment, this study had been conducted vocabulary training, pre-test, post-test and a questionnaire. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, a statistical analysis technique based on ANOVA and regression were used to analyze the data.Findings The results support hypotheses that CSE, learning score and satisfaction are rated higher for STEM students than non-STEM ones and indicate the effect of CSE on language learning performance is stronger for STEM students than non-STEM ones in using MALL.Originality/value This paper addressed important issues in language learning on the academic major difference. The findings would be the guidelines for educational organizations to motivate and stimulate students with sustainable self-confidence important not only for improvement in students' language learning achievements and outcomes but also for the advancement of mobile technology in language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the benefits and threats of promoting and reinforcing a research-based education environment to STEM undergraduate students. The paper explores the rationale for research-based education as a pedagogical driven approach, where undergraduate students learn through enquiry and discovery. Research evidence of a STEM case study conducted in an English university is then presented, which sheds light on how this institution and STEM research-active academics are fostering students’ learning in a research-based education environment, the constraints they face, and the pedagogical solutions they propose to empower students’ learning. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations aimed to raise the research-based education environment of STEM Faculties or Departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decline in student motivation is a concern for STEM education, especially for underrepresented groups in the sciences. Using the Science Motivation Questionnaire II, 41 foundational STEM courses were surveyed at the beginning and end of each semester in an academic year at a small primarily undergraduate university. Significant pre- to post-semester declines were observed in each of five measured motivational factors (Intrinsic motivation, Career motivation, Self determination, Self-efficacy, and Grade motivation), with effect sizes ranging from 0.21 to 0.41. However, in the second semester pre-survey, four motivational factors rebounded, including three returning to initial levels, suggesting that the observed motivational decline is not long-lasting. Analysis suggests that declines are not related to survey fatigue or student demographics, but rather to grades and, in the case of one motivational factor, to academic field. These findings suggest that a refocus on grading practices across STEM fields may influence student motivation and persistence in STEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) movement argues that broad-based education that promotes creativity recognizes student learning diversity, increases student engagement and can potentially enhance Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning by embracing cross-cutting translational skills common to STEM and arts and design disciplines. This article describes and discusses the advocacy strategy designed at Rhode Island School of Design to promote STEAM education policy. Recommendations presented include (a) recognition of the arts (and design) as core subjects alongside STEM; (b) addressing issues of equity/resources to deliver arts education; (c) calling for research into potential outcomes of STEAM educational models; and (d) funding for professional development and latitude for teachers to explore interdisciplinary learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated self-efficacy in men and women studying STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors at a small private university in order to determine whether women had lower self-efficacy scores than men, as has been suggested by previous research. The study also investigated the possibility of a negative correlation between femininity and self-efficacy. The participants (N=67) were evaluated using the College Academic Self-Efficacy Survey created by Owen and Froman (1988) to find self-efficacy scores, and the women (N=37) were also given the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem,1974) to determine femininity scores. The results found no relationship between gender and self-efficacy, as well as no correlation between femininity and self-efficacy. Possibilities suggested for why the results were different from past research include the small sample size and the college environment at this university. Possible further research could be done at larger universities to determine whether there is a factor at this school that makes the STEM majors more attractive and comfortable to women than at some other universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore potential gender differences in the mediating effect of career search self-efficacy between 2 dimensions of perfectionism (adaptive and maladaptive) and the perception of career barriers. A total of 279 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics undergraduate students participated in the study. Among men, but not women, career search self-efficacy mediated the relationships between both dimensions of perfectionism and the perception of career barriers. Implications for counselors and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the findings of a pilot study that used robotics and game design to develop middle school students' computational thinking strategies. One hundred and twenty-four students engaged in LEGO EV3 robotics and created games using Scalable Game Design software. The results of the study revealed students' pre-post self-efficacy scores on the construct of computer use declined significantly, while the constructs of videogaming and computer gaming remained unchanged. When these constructs were analyzed by type of learning environment, self-efficacy on videogaming increased significantly in the combined robotics/gaming environment compared with the gaming-only context. Student attitudes toward STEM, however, did not change significantly as a result of the study. Finally, children's computational thinking (CT) strategies varied by method of instruction as students who participated in holistic game development (i.e., Project First) had higher CT ratings. This study contributes to the STEM education literature on the use of robotics and game design to influence self-efficacy in technology and CT, while informing the research team about the adaptations needed to ensure project fidelity during the remaining years of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that trajectories toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emerge early and are influenced by multiple factors. This paper presents a longitudinal study, which uses data from 76 high school students to explore how a student's vocational self-efficacy and interest are related to his or her middle school behavioral and affective engagement. Measures of vocational self-efficacy and interest are drawn from STEM-related scales in CAPAExplore, while measures of middle school performance and engagement in mathematics are drawn from several previously validated automated indicators extracted from logs of student interaction with ASSISTments, an online learning platform. Results indicate that vocational self-efficacy correlates negatively with confusion, but positively with engaged concentration and carelessness. Interest, which also correlates negatively with confusion, correlates positively with correctness and carelessness. Other disengaged behaviors, such as gaming the system, were not correlated with vocational self-efficacy or interest, despite previous studies indicating that they are associated with future college attendance. We discuss implications for these findings, which have the potential to assist educators or counselors in developing strategies to sustain students' interest in STEM-related careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study was designed to determine the effect of perceived supports and barriers on self-efficacy beliefs and other social-cognitive variables related to second-year science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students' career development. Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) states that career interest is influenced by four cognitive-person variables: self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, interests, and goals. Other variables, such as social supports and barriers, also play an important role. Purpose This study explores the influence of gender and STEM major on perceived supports and barriers. It also analyzes the effects of perceived supports and barriers on the SCCT cognitive-person variables. Method Participants were 811 sophomore students in STEM programs at the University of Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests analyzed the difference in the perceived supports and barriers by gender and students' major. Multiple-group structural equation modeling was implemented to predict the relationship between perceived supports and barriers and SCCT cognitive-person variables. Results The engineering students perceived more teaching staff barriers and fewer teaching staff supports than other students. Male software and hardware engineering students perceived more barriers than other male engineering students. The fit of the model revealed an important effect of perceived teaching staff supports on the four cognitive-person variables. Conclusions To determine the influences on the cognitive-person variables, it is necessary to analyze the perceived supports and barriers. Peers and family are the most important perceived supports, while teaching staff and financial difficulties are the greatest perceived barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the links between multiple levels of belonging and forms of behavioral and emotional engagement among STEM undergraduates in five geographically and culturally distinct institutions in the United States. Data were gathered from a survey specifically designed to capture the links between these key elements of the undergraduate experience. Results from over 1500 student participants in the survey clearly supported the importance of belonging for behavioral and emotional engagement in STEM courses when measured in the context of the classroom. The most consistent and significant links among models for the five participating institutions occurred between belonging at the class level and positive emotional engagement, while the least frequent and least consistent occurred between belonging to the university and all forms of engagement. Patterns of association to engagement were also similar for belonging and self-efficacy. The results of this study confirm the importance of belonging in the STEM classroom context and provide additional insights into the concurrent importance of self-efficacy in supporting student engagement. These results also demonstrate that belonging is a distinct attribute related to engagement and is not simply reducible to feelings of self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Context: Although students frequently begin forming ideas about potential college majors or career choices prior to entering college, research on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), and (M)edicine has almost exclusively focused on students' experiences in postsecondary institutions. To better understand the full length of the STEMM pipeline-from high school through to postsecondary levels- it is essential to identify and explore factors that influence students' choices in STEMM while they are in secondary schools, a setting that is arguably the first critical step of the pipeline. Purpose/Objective: Among factors that influence students' choices to pursue STEMM fields, this study examines the influence of students ' self-ejficacy and expectation, as well as the expectation and encouragement they received from parents and high school teachers on their decisions to major in, complete a degree in, and pursue a career in STEMM. Given this focus on expectation specifically, the study employs a conceptual framework developed through the application of prior literature on teacher and parent expectations, as well as Social Cognitive Career Theory. Research Design: Using the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) 1987 data, the study investigated students ' decision making at three distinct time points along a typical STEMM education/career path and predicted their persistence in the STEMM pipeline by utilizing logistic regression analyses. To further examine whether such sets of expectations are moderated by gender, analysis also included interaction terms for gender and teacher expectation, as well as those of gender and parent expectation. Findings/Results: The results of this study indicate that expectation plays a significant role in students ' choices in STEMM and teacher expectation is shown to be especially influential. Focusing on gender differences, males' choices in STEMM were shown to be most affected by their teachers' educational expectations and encouragement while females' choices were most affected by those of their parents. Conclusions/Recommendations: The decision to pursue education and a career in a STEMM is not a one-time decision, but a longitudinal process that begins during secondary education and carries on through into college. The findings of this study provide meaningful information about the importance of students ' self-efficacy and expectation within the STEMM pipeline, as well as the influence teacher expectations and encouragement can have on students ' pursuit of and persistence in STEMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses aspects of the demand for students to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects. He examines the impact of curriculum reforms on students and teachers under the new General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) curriculum for mathematics. The author cites the decrease interest of the students in STEM careers.

The purpose of this research was to develop and test a model of factors contributing to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and career orientation, examining the complex paths and relationships among social, motivational, and instructional factors underlying these outcomes for middle school youth. Social cognitive career theory provided the foundation for the research because of its emphasis on explaining mechanisms which influence both career orientations and academic performance. Key constructs investigated were youth STEM interest, self-efficacy, and career outcome expectancy (consequences of particular actions). The study also investigated the effects of prior knowledge, use of problem-solving learning strategies, and the support and influence of informal educators, family members, and peers. A structural equation model was developed, and structural equation modeling procedures were used to test proposed relationships between these constructs. Results showed that educators, peers, and family-influenced youth STEM interest, which in turn predicted their STEM self-efficacy and career outcome expectancy. STEM career orientation was fostered by youth-expected outcomes for such careers. Results suggest that students’ pathways to STEM careers and learning can be largely explained by these constructs, and underscore the importance of youth STEM interest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper was designed to amplify a growing body of research that implicates minority male identity and interest in science and math learning and preparation for STEM careers. Specifically, this paper draws on both quantitative and qualitative data to examine factors influencing Black Males 'college readiness and success in STEM. Blending sociological theories on gender socialization and racialized campus environments, the author identifies several major factors ranging from pre-college STEM self-efficacy to concerted cultivation of Black boy s initial interest and sense of belonging in STEM. Survey data and illustrative quotes from interview participants demonstrate the relevance and significance of these findings and non-cognitive predictors of academic success. Implications for future policy, practice, and research are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite an increased focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in U.S. schools, today's students often struggle to maintain adequate performance in these fields compared with students in other countries (Cheek in Thinking constructively about science, technology, and society education. State University of New York, Albany, ; Enyedy and Goldberg ; Mandinach and Lewis ). In addition, despite considerable pressure to promote the placement of students into STEM career fields, U.S. placement is relatively low (Sadler et al. in Sci Educ 96(3):411-427, ; Subotnik et al. in Identifying and developing talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM): an agenda for research, policy and practice. International handbook, part XII, pp 1313-1326, ). One explanation for the decline of STEM career placement in the U.S. rests with low student affect concerning STEM concepts and related content, especially in terms of self-efficacy. Researchers define self-efficacy as the internal belief that a student can succeed in learning, and that understanding student success lies in students' externalized actions or behaviors (Bandura in Psychol Rev 84(2):191-215, ). Evidence suggests that high self-efficacy in STEM can result in student selection of STEM in later educational endeavors, culminating in STEM career selection (Zeldin et al. in J Res Sci Teach 45(9):1036-1058, ). However, other factors such as proficiency play a role as well. The lack of appropriate measures of self-efficacy can greatly affect STEM career selection due to inadequate targeting of this affective trait and loss of opportunity for early intervention by educators. Lack of early intervention decreases selection of STEM courses and careers (Valla and Williams in J Women Minor Sci Eng 18(1), ; Lent et al. in J Couns Psychol 38(4), ). Therefore, this study developed a short-form measure of self-efficacy to help identify students in need of intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between self-efficacy and maintenance of interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) resulting in completion of an undergraduate degree in a science related area. To pursue this analysis, the researchers surveyed 3,510 graduates from selective specialized science high schools within the United States as well as 603 same age participants in Talent Search programs who did not graduate from a specialized science high school. Using binary logistic regression analysis, the researchers identified individual-level variables associated with the decision by both groups of high-ability adolescents to earn an undergraduate degree in STEM. These variables include self-efficacy and stability of interest in science, mathematics, and/or technology, and suggest that both specialized science high schools and Talent Search programs both serve equally well as incubators of talent for adolescents with a proclivity for STEM related disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Many argue that games can positively impact learning by providing an intrinsically motivating and engaging learning environment for students in ways that traditional school cannot. Recent research demonstrates that games have the potential to impact student learning in STEM content areas and that collaborative gameplay may be of particular importance for learning gains. This study investigated the effects of collaborative and single game player conditions on science content learning and science self-efficacy. Results indicated that there were no differences between the two playing conditions; however, when conditions were collapsed, science content learning and self-efficacy significantly increased. Future research should focus on the composition of collaboration interaction among game players to assess what types of collaborative tasks may yield positive learning gains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents research about the use of living-learning (L/L) programs to prevent student attrition in post-secondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education majors. The authors ground their research in social cognitive career theory (SCCT) which examines the manner in which people choose careers or academic pursuits in selection of courses and majors. Topics include gender and racial disparities in STEM higher education programs, the 2007 sample population of college students in 46 U.S. universities and colleges, the importance of faculty-student interaction for vocational guidance, the impact of supporting residential environments, and student self-efficacy.

There has been much research attention on ability level, motivation, and self-efficacy of students at schools of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). However, there is scant research on vocational choice, career development and aspirations of these students. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by asking students, via an open-response format, regarding their anticipated occupational preferences, unique employment skills, and continuing educational plans. The sample was comprised of 40 undergraduate mathematics majors (females=21, males=19) enrolled in a STEM specialty school at a medium-sized university in the South. Results showed that about half (N=22) intend to find employment and attend graduate school concurrently. Entry-level job preferences ranked as follows: High school mathematics teacher, college-level teaching, government, engineering, and finance. Also, 25% of the sample expected to acquire a teaching certification. The findings were discussed within the framework of gender underrepresen-tation, career interest, and self-efficacy dynamics. Directions for future research were noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Unobserved attributes are important when assessing predictors of STEM participation. • Boys' field of study choices are driven by their interest in STEM fields. • For girls they are largely driven by early development of confidence in math abilities. • Interventions can work only for girls with above average self-confidence in math and science. We used HSLS:09 data to investigate how self-efficacy perceptions and interest in STEM subjects in high school predict subsequent STEM field participation. We focused on the role of unobserved heterogeneity in shaping gender differences in the predictive power of STEM-specific self-beliefs and interest. We used an endogenous treatment effects approach. We found that: (a) unobserved attributes play an important role, and the findings are distinctly different between genders; (b) boys' field of study choices are driven by interest in STEM subjects, while for girls it is early development of confidence in their math abilities; (c) interventions aimed at closing the STEM gender gap can work only for girls with above average confidence in their ability to do well in STEM subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including a forum for analyzing the historical January Women's March on D.C. and around the world, student-empowering self-assessment tools, ways to prepare pre-teachers and librarians to better teach STEM content to students in grades four-12.