Factors Influenced the Students’ Intention to Study STEM Stream in Upper Secondary School

Abstract

STEM is an important stream in Malaysia education to become a developed country. However, students show less interest in this stream as there is a declining trend of students taking STEM subjects. The objective of the study is to investigate the factors that influence students’ intention to study science stream in upper secondary school. The study framework has three independent variables named attitude towards science, normative social influences, and self-efficacy and the dependent is students’ intention to study science stream. By using cluster-sampling, a total of 339 data were collected through the questionnaire survey method from two schools out of 16 schools in the rural area of Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The data was analysed using Correlation Analysis, Multiple Linear Regression, Independent T-test, and One-Way ANOVA test. The main finding of the study shows that attitude towards science, normative social influences, and self-efficacy had a significant relationship with students’ intention to study science stream in upper secondary. This study offers an insight to parents, teachers, and policymakers in improving policy and encouraging students to pursue their study in the STEM stream to achieve the government goal that earlier set the ratio of science to art students at 60:40.