Journal ArticleDOI
Why Students Choose STEM Majors Motivation, High School Learning, and Postsecondary Context of Support
TLDR
In this article, a conceptual framework for understanding the entrance into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors by recent high school graduates attending 4-year institutions was proposed.Abstract:
This study draws upon social cognitive career theory and higher education literature to test a conceptual framework for understanding the entrance into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors by recent high school graduates attending 4-year institutions. Results suggest that choosing a STEM major is directly influenced by intent to major in STEM, high school math achievement, and initial postsecondary experiences, such as academic interaction and financial aid receipt. Exerting the largest impact on STEM entrance, intent to major in STEM is directly affected by 12th-grade math achievement, exposure to math and science courses, and math self-efficacy beliefs—all three subject to the influence of early achievement in and attitudes toward math. Multiple-group structural equation modeling analyses indicated heterogeneous effects of math achievement and exposure to math and science across racial groups, with their positive impact on STEM intent accruing most to White students and least ...read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
Preparing 8th Grade Students to Excel in Physical Science: HandsOn Physics (HOP)!
TL;DR: This study describes a program that the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) carried out in partnership with Birmingham City Schools (BCS) to test an educational intervention, i.e., Hands-On Physics (HOP), among 8th grade students in predominantly minority schools and evaluated teachers' demographics and educational backgrounds.
Journal ArticleDOI
Beyond the Leaky Pipeline: Developmental Pathways that Lead College Students to Join or Return to STEM Majors
Jue Wu,David H. Uttal +1 more
Abstract: STEM education researchers often invoke the “Leaky Pipeline” metaphor (National Research Council, 1986) when explaining why so many students do not persist in STEM. This metaphor envisions the supply of potential workers as a pipeline. Students “drip out” (leave STEM) of the pipeline from preschool through college. However, this metaphor does not adequately reflect the fluidity and multi-directionality of students’ decisions about their college majors. For example, some students join STEM after leaving another (non-STEM) major, and others add STEM as a second major. Increasing the number of students who join STEM could contribute substantially to addressing the STEM shortage. We used the term STEM joiners to refer to these students. We conducted a qualitative study of 22 college STEM joiners to explore the developmental trajectories and motivations of these STEM joiners. Data was collected through semi-structured clinical interviews with each individual and was analyzed by an iterative, grounded coding processes to derive themes and categories. We found that the decision to join STEM after declaring another major was often motivated by a desire to return to original interests in STEM. Early college STEM courses, supportive STEM environments, and mentoring experiences were critical in students’ joining decisions. The results suggest ways in which STEM joining could be increased, which could lead to an increase in the number of STEM majors.
Book ChapterDOI
Students’ Awareness of Working Life Skills in the UK, Finland and Germany
Anssi Salonen,Anu Hartikainen-Ahia,Tuula Keinonen,Inês Direito,John O. Connolly,Annette Scheersoi,Lara Weiser +6 more
TL;DR: The authors examined lower secondary school students' knowledge of specific working life skills, and found that high achievers with low self-efficacy in science lack interest in choosing science studies and careers.
References
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Book
Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling
TL;DR: The book aims to provide the skills necessary to begin to use SEM in research and to interpret and critique the use of method by others.
Book
Structural Equation Modeling With Mplus: Basic Concepts, Applications, And Programming
TL;DR: Structural Equation Models: The Basics using the EQS Program and testing for Construct Validity: The Multitrait-Multimethod Model and Change Over Time: The Latent Growth Curve Model.
Book
Structural equation modeling with AMOS: basic concepts, applications, and programming
TL;DR: In this article, the EQS program is used to test the factorial verifiability of a theoretical construct and its invariance to a Causal Structure using the First-Order CFA model.
Book
Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory
TL;DR: In this paper, models of Human Nature and Casualty are used to model human nature and human health, and a set of self-regulatory mechanisms are proposed. But they do not consider the role of cognitive regulators.
Journal ArticleDOI
Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure modeling.
TL;DR: In this article, a framework for hypothesis testing and power analysis in the assessment of fit of covariance structure models is presented, where the value of confidence intervals for fit indices is emphasized.