College Students’ Civic Engagement Efficacy and Their Implementing Effects in Selected STEM Programs

Abstract

Previous studies on civic engagement have been reviewed in their contextual factors, for example, factors in organizational, pedagogical, and psychological domains, while little research has confirmed the structural linkage of related latent variables in this topic. This study intends to investigate college students’ civic engagement efficacy that might affect the entire sustainability of society in their later careers. We assumed students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs in higher education, typically viewed as science-oriented education, might neglect students’ civic engagement. To detect the issue in the specific field, we designed that civic engagement and its implementation were based on students’ self-efficacy measurement. This study considered the time spent on related activities in STEM which might impact students’ involvement in civic activities. A total of 322 survey responses were analyzed, the reliability and construction of the survey instrument were verified, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the causal relationships among observed and latent variables. The findings suggest the two dimensions of civic engagement in terms of civic engaging and implementing might impact students as active citizens and their involvement in local and global activities. While students’ time spent did make significant influence in this model. This study provides an example to detect a specific student’s issue in STEM programs. The findings can bridge the gap of knowledge in STEM education and civic engagement, and provide a practical approach to detect civic engagement efficacy and its impacts in higher education settings.