STEM Education

  1. Although there is evidence that neighborhood disadvantage, for example, is associated with lower math achievement in primary school, little is known about other potential contextual factors, such as local labor market characteristics or proximity to science-focused industry.
  2. Studies of elementary and secondary schools suggest that funding and resource availability shapes the extent to which students engage in and excel at STEM education.
  3. Numerous studies show that access to knowledgeable and experienced math and science teachers positively impacts both student learning and student interest in and passion for science.
  4. Completion of advanced math and science classes remains one of the strongest predictors of students’ scores on achievement tests and pursuit of post-secondary STEM degrees. But the association between secondary STEM course completion and grades and post-secondary STEM participation is much stronger for males than for females.
  5. The continuing gender gaps in post-secondary STEM education suggests that we do not yet fully understand the processes that promote persistence in STEM education and how those processes vary by gender.
  6. Girls consistently report lower self-assessments of quantitative skills, lower self-confidence in math abilities, less interest and less motivation to learn math and science, and higher levels of math anxiety than their male peers, as well as less interest in pursuing careers in STEM fields, even after controlling for achievement.
  7. Recent studies document that female students face negative biases in the grading of their school work and evaluation of their competence and qualification for STEM employment, and gender-segregated networks and chilly climates in STEM higher education and workplaces.
  8. Although rates of participation and achievement are disproportionately low among URMs, their levels of self-confidence and enjoyment of math and science are disproportionately high.
  9. Mounting evidence suggests that structural factors may limit the extent to which URM students are able to convert their interests to meaningful STEM engagement.
  10. Unsupportive campus climates, highly competitive classrooms, poor instruction, and excessive workloads can diminish academic engagement, achievement, and persistence toward a degree. These negative contextual characteristics may be more common in STEM coursework than in non-STEM coursework, particularly in introductory or weeder classes and in selective universities than in non-selective universities, pushing otherwise capable and interested students toward non-STEM majors or out of post-secondary education altogether.
  11. Differences by family socioeconomic background in STEM interest and persistence during post-secondary education disappear when other factors, such as academic achievement, are controlled.
  12. Math and science self-concept, interest in science, and aspirations for a science-related career are strongly related to engagement and achievement in STEM education.
  13. Post-secondary environments in which students receive engaging instruction, encouragement from faculty and other students, sufficient financial aid and networking opportunities are positively associated with STEM engagement and persistence.
  14. As with general education, family factors- particularly family SES- are strongly associated with students’ achievement in math and science, interest in STEM higher education, and attainment of a STEM degree.
  15. The complex influence of school context is illustrated by studies showing that the academic performance of low-income students, particularly Black and Latino students, may be negatively affected by the proportion of middle- and upper-class students in the schools they attend.
  16. Whereas commonly used measures of socioeconomic status (SES) predict the attainment of general education, social-psychological factors are more important influences on participation and achievement in STEM versus non-STEM education.
  17. Domestically, disparities by family SES, race, and gender persist in STEM education. Internationally, American students lag behind those in some countries with fewer economic resources.
  18. Explanations for group disparities within the United States and the mediocre international ranking of US student performance require more research, a task that is best accomplished through interdisciplinary approaches.