Creative Self-Efficacy: Why It Matters for the Future of STEM Education

Abstract

ABSTRACT In preparation for the future of work, developed economies face two critical challenges related to their STEM workforces. The first is the need to increase female participation, as women remain underrepresented in these disciplines. The second is the need, in a rapidly digitalizing world, to equip workers with abilities that cannot be easily replaced by artificial intelligence and automation. Could creativity be the solution to both challenges? Building on existing scholarship, this study proposes Creative Self-Efficacy (CSE) as being an essential component of STEM education, necessary to support both increased female participation and proper preparation for the demands of the future of work. A quantitative study was conducted with 2,123 Australian students, across Years 6 to 12, to examine the role of CSE in STEM subjects. The analyses compare the CSE levels between STEM and non-STEM disciplines, between genders and examine the differences in the correlation between CSE and intention for further study between the different year groups. The most relevant finding of this paper is that CSE correlates with the decision to continue studying STEM and non-STEM subjects, both for female and male students. Further implications and practical methodologies to stimulate this construct in STEM classrooms are proposed.