Adaptation of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) into Turkish

Abstract

Problem Statement: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has recently become a remarkable research topic, especially in developed countries as a result of the skilled workforce required in the fields of the STEM. Considering that professional tendencies are revealed at early ages, determining students’ interest in STEM careers is important for Turkey’s workforce. The question, How can Turkish middle school students’ interest in STEM careers be determined? constitutes the problem statement of this study. Purpose of the Study: The aim of this study is to adapt the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS), which is a type of 5-point-Likert scale, into Turkish. The survey consists of 44 questions, and includes science, technology, mathematics, and engineering sub-dimensions. Method: Items were independently translated into Turkish by the authors after necessary permissions were received. Afterwards, the authors reached a consensus about the Turkish meanings of each items. The items were reviewed and edited by English and Turkish field experts to ensure validity. The survey was administered to 1,033 middle school students (grades 5-8). The data were analyzed by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) in the AMOS program. The reliability of the scale, as well as its sub