2016 - Examination of Factors Predicting Secondary Students’ Interest in Tertiary STEM Education

Attribution: Chachashvili-Bolotin, Svetlana, Milner-Bolotin, Marina, & Lissitsa, Sabina
Researchers: Marina Milner-BolotinSabina LissitsaSvetlana Chachashvili-Bolotin
University Affiliation: The Institute for Immigration & Social Integration; The University of British Columbia
Email: mlamboye@msu.edu
Research Question:
1) What are the factors that predict secondary students' interest in pursuing STEM fields in tertiary education? 2) Do the effects of these factors differ between the two genders?
Published: Yes
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: International Journal of Science Education
Journal Entry: Vol. 38, No. 3, Pp. 366-390
Year: 2016
Findings:
  1. STEM learning experience positively associates with students’ interest in pursuing STEM fields in tertiary education as opposed to non-STEM fields.
  2. Studying advanced science courses at the secondary school level decreases (but does not eliminate) the gender gap and eliminates the effect of family background on students’ interest in pursuing STEM fields in the future.
  3. Findings regarding outcome expectations and self-efficacy beliefs only partially support the SCCT model.
  4. Outcome expectations and self-efficacy beliefs positively correlate with students’ entering tertiary education but did not differentiate between their interests in the fields of study.
  5. Parental education differentiates only in interest to study in tertiary education and not in choosing a field of study.
  6. The perceived socio-economic background was insignificant in the entering in tertiary education, while significant in differentiation between the fields of study. Those from lower socio-economic background were more likely to be interested in STEM fields, compared to those from higher socio-economic background.
Scholarship Types: Journal Article Reporting Empirical ResearchKeywords: CollegeGenderInterestSESSTEMRegions: IsraelMethodologies: QuantitativeResearch Designs: SurveyAnalysis Methods: Descriptive StatisticsMultinomial Logistic Regression Sampling Frame:Grade 11 and 12 students.
Sampling Types: Non-Random - PurposiveNonrandomAnalysis Units: StudentData Types: Quantitative-Cross Sectional
Data Description:
  • Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) emphasizes the interrelationship among individual, environmental, and behavioral variables that can predict one’s interest and choice of career. SCCT relies on key factors such as self-efficacy (beliefs in one’s ability to success-fully perform particular behaviors), outcome expectations, interests, environmental supports and barriers, as well as choice actions.
  • Survey data was from the project Investigation of the Attitudes towards Higher Education among Grade 11-12 Students in Ashdod. The data were collected in November-January (2012-2013). The study sample consisted of grade 11 and 12 students enrolled in 11 public schools in the city. The final sample included 2458 grade 11 and 12 students comprising 68% of the entire grade 11 and 12 students population in public schools in the city.
  • The dependent variable is the student’s interest in pursuing STEM fields in tertiary education was measured by the following two items: (1) Are you interested to study in an academic institution? and (2) Disregarding your current educational achievements at school and your grade in the Psychometric exam (if you have taken it already), what is the field of study that you are interested to pursue in tertiary education?
  • IV: Gender, parent’s education level, student’s perception of SES, level of math studied and grade, enrollment in advanced science courses, if they did extra-curricular activities, self-efficacy, grade-level, and outcome expectations and social support (this was measured using 13 items on a Likert scale from 1 to 5). The first factor represents the content world of the academic education as a social value. The second factor represents the academic education as mobility channel. Those two factors can reflect the outcome expectations. The third factor represents the perceived social support for academic education.
Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:STEM Interest/Pursuit/Aspirations/Intent
Archives: K-16 STEM Abstracts