STEM Self-efficacy Research Articles

STEM ATTITUDE DISPARITY: THE IMPACT OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN VOCATIONALLY-ORIENTED POLYTECHNIC AND UNIVERSITY ON STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY, EXPECTANCY-VALUE, AND CAREER INTEREST

Learning experiences are widely recognized as crucial in developing students’ attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Vocationally-oriented polytechnics and universities provide distinct learning experiences that may significantly influence students’ STEM self-efficacy, expectancy-value and career interest. The study explores how the unique learning experiences shape students' STEM attitudes among 487 students during their fourth semester at vocationally-oriented polytechnic and university. The S-STEM survey was adopted as the measurement instrument. The result showed that university students displayed a more favorable overall STEM attitude compared to students enrolled in vocational-oriented polytechnic. University students demonstrated greater STEM self-efficacy than polytechnic students, but no significant difference in STEM expectancy-value was detected between the two groups. From the perspective of inter-group comparison, university education consistently fostered students a heightened sense of STEM self-efficacy, expectancy-value and career interest in science, whereas vocationally-oriented polytechnic education boasted its unique strengths in cultivating robust attitudes and career interests towards science and engineering/technology. However, students in both institutions exhibited a relatively less positive attitude towards learning mathematics. The findings highlight the importance of learning experiences in shaping students' STEM attitudes and career interests. Keywords: career interest, expectancy-value, learning experiences, self-efficacy, STEM attitude

Exploring career interest and STEM self-efficacy: implications for promoting gender equity.

This study explores the relationship between career interests and self-efficacy in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among young girls in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Employing a quantitative research design with a correlational approach, we utilize the S-STEM survey to measure changes in students' STEM subject efficacy and their interest in STEM careers. Our sample comprises 671 middle and high school female students from 49 schools, representing a diverse cross-section of the population. The findings indicate that female students exhibit high levels of STEM self-efficacy and have a strong preference for medicine as a career choice. While the overall interest in STEM careers among students is moderate, there are notable variations in interest across different STEM fields. Importantly, a positive and significant correlation was observed between female students' interest in STEM careers and their self-efficacy in STEM. This research holds important implications for the promotion of STEM education and careers among female students. By recognizing the unique context of Saudi Arabia and the perspectives of young girls in Riyadh, this study offers a fresh perspective on the factors influencing STEM career aspirations and highlights the importance of fostering self-efficacy beliefs among female students.

PHÁT TRIỂN NĂNG LỰC ĐỊNH HƯỚNG NGHỀ NGHIỆP CỦA HỌC SINH QUA BÀI HỌC E-STEM “CÔNG TY THIẾT KẾ SẢN PHẨM ỨNG DỤNG CẢM BIẾN” TRONG DẠY HỌC CHUYÊN ĐỀ “MỞ ĐẦU VỀ ĐIỆN TỬ HỌC” (VẬT LÝ 11)

Based on the E-STEM theoretical framework, STEM lessons, and thematic knowledge content “Introduction to Electronics” in the 11th grade physics curriculum, the article designs the E-STEM lesson “The company designs sensor application products” to foster students’ career-oriented capabilities. Experimental results show that the lesson has an impact on the development of career-oriented competency, including STEM career awareness, STEM self-efficacy, and STEM career interest. Furthermore, although the personal emotional aspect and the decision to choose a STEM career also had an increased average score after the experimental process, it was not statistically significant. In general, students can complete tasks and respond positively to the lessons, while also having the opportunity to foster behavioral manifestations of career-oriented and physics competency. These contributions will suggest and direct the integration of E-STEM into forms of implementing STEM education in high schools in the future. Keywords: E-STEM; STEM education; entrepreneurship education; career orientation; Physics curriculum.

Developing a Conceptual Framework: Women STEM Faculty's Participation in Entrepreneurship Education Programs

AbstractMotivated by the high socio-economic impact of innovations in science and technology, entrepreneurship in STEM disciplines is gaining increasing attention. As a result, entrepreneurship education programs (EEPs) have been introduced and designed to train STEM faculty and expose them to entrepreneurial practice. This study examines factors influencing women STEM faculty's perspectives on their participation in EEPs within the broader socio-cultural context of academia. The study addresses the under-researched and undertheorized area of women academics in STEM entrepreneurship by drawing on adult participation literature and key theoretical works in entrepreneurship education to formulate the conceptual grounding. Using qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews with 32 women STEM faculty, the findings identify internal and external influences and unpacks their complex interactions across the programmatic and systemic dimensions. Internal factors include perceptions of entrepreneurship, STEM academic identity, entrepreneurial identity, and self-efficacy, while external factors included professional mentors, personal role models, socioemotional support, and financial resources. The study conceptually synthesizes these factors and elucidates a nuanced understanding of women STEM faculty’s perspectives on their participation in EEPs, offering insights for future research and program development to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusivity in STEM entrepreneurship education.

Elementary teachers' self-efficacy and its role in STEM implementation

To equip students with 21st-century skills, teachers must have both deep STEM content knowledge and the confidence to implement and teach appropriate STEM content. Many elementary teachers have inadequate STEM background knowledge, low confidence, and STEM self-efficacy for implementing STEM in the classroom; as a result, teachers' classroom practices are affected. The study examined how elementary teachers perceive their ability to implement STEM in the classroom. The STEM Efficacy Survey was sent to a randomized pool of 100 elementary educators, and 18 of them agreed to participate in the study. This instrument was designed to elicit responses related to the teachers' previous background in STEM, their beliefs about their ability to implement STEM, and their actual STEM implementation in the elementary classroom. The results revealed that participants were confident in their understanding of the engineering design process and problem-based learning. However, teachers were unwilling to apply the engineering design process in the classroom. From this research, the researchers concluded that higher levels of training in STEM education may influence how teachers perceive their ability to implement STEM in the classroom. Further research should focus on exploring how STEM training affects teachers' self-efficacy in STEM implementation.

Encouraging STEM Careers among Minoritized High School Students: The Interplay between Socio-Environmental Factors and Other Social Cognitive Career Constructs

Performance in math, particularly algebra, is a major barrier to student success and participation in STEM among under-represented minoritized students, particularly Black U.S. high school students. This research applies social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to measure the impacts of an afterschool algebra for engineering program on math self-efficacy and interest in STEM among high school students in a large urban district. To study the program’s effects, a mixed methods research design was used where schools were assigned to either treatment or control conditions. Students in treatment schools accessed algebra for engineering modules, STEM professional role model videos, and field trips, while students in control schools accessed role model videos and field trips only. Surveys measuring math self-efficacy and STEM interest, outcome expectations, and choice goals were completed by participants in both conditions at the beginning and end of two separate program years, 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. Across both years, quantitative results suggest some positive effects of participation, particularly for STEM choice goals, but benefits depend upon student participation levels. Qualitative data offer student voice around prior experiences in math and science and the development of postsecondary plans in STEM. In combination, the results suggest that for students who do not initially identify as STEM career-bound, afterschool programming may not necessarily promote preparation for STEM careers due to an accumulation of weak math and science school experiences and other socio-environmental influences.

A Block Model and Tech School Collaborative Framework for Enhancing Pre-Service Teacher Self-Efficacy in STEM

A Block Model and Tech School Collaborative Framework for Enhancing Pre-Service Teacher Self-Efficacy in STEM

Effectiveness of Middle School STEM Career Education for STEM Knowledge, Efficacy, and Interest

The purpose of this study was to test STEM career interventions through a theoretically integrated STEM Career Education (SCE) Module. The effectiveness of SC education was tested on STEM Career (SC) interests, self-efficacy, and knowledge of students from two middle schools. The sample included middle school students from two private schools (N=33) in Islamabad, Pakistan. By using a mixed-method sequential explanatory research design, quantitative data were obtained before and after the intervention while qualitative focus group discussions were conducted post-intervention. A significant increase in SC interest, self-efficacy, and knowledge after participating in the SCs Program is reported, even after statistically controlling key variables. The training seems to be more effective for those with low SC knowledge. Findings indicate a need for robust interventions to target math self-efficacy. Results provide further directions for effective STEM interventions. By pinpointing limitations and future directions, this pilot study contributes to STEM education in Pakistan and provides a model of CE for other countries.

Exploratory Factor Analysis of Stem Self-Efficacy in The Context of Malaysian Stem Subjects’ High Performers

Exploratory Factor Analysis of Stem Self-Efficacy in The Context of Malaysian Stem Subjects’ High Performers

Influence of career awareness on STEM career interests: examining the roles of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and gender

BackgroundThe studies of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career interests have progressed substantially over the recent years. However, the influence of career awareness on STEM career interests is an area that requires further discussion. Evidently, Chinese adolescents have limited awareness and interest in STEM careers in the context of the Chinese cultural milieu, which can potentially constrain their future career trajectories. This study explored the influence of career awareness on the STEM career interests of Chinese high school students, examining the mediating roles of self-efficacy and outcome expectations for STEM courses in this relationship. Additionally, it analyzes the impact of gender on the average levels and interrelations of these variables. A sample of high school students from both eastern and western regions of China (N = 2542) was selected, and data was analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach.ResultsThe findings indicate that while STEM career awareness impacts various types of STEM career interests, minor differences exist in these effects. Specifically, the influence of STEM career awareness on analytical STEM career interests is entirely mediated by self-efficacy and outcome expectations in STEM courses. However, for life-survival and life-healthy STEM career interests, this mediation is only partial, with respective effects accounting for 39% and 45%. Notably, significant mean-level differences exist between male and female students in STEM career interests and self-efficacy in STEM courses, yet the relationships among these variables remain consistent across genders.ConclusionsThis study underscores the pivotal influence of career awareness in molding STEM career interests, shedding light on the mediating functions of self-efficacy and outcome expectations within STEM courses. Through a gender-based analysis, it offers valuable insights into the differing inclinations of male and female high school students in the STEM realm, while also revealing consistent patterns in the relationships among these variables across genders. These findings underscore the necessity for heightened efforts to bolster STEM career awareness and fortify self-efficacy and outcome expectations within STEM courses, particularly in domains characterized by notable gender disparities, aiming to foster equitable advancement within the STEM disciplines.

Improving Learning Outcomes through STEM Learning Model and Self-Efficacy

Education scholars have extensively studied the relationship between classroom exposure to STEM disciplines and favourable learning outcomes for students. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential correlation between students' self-efficacy and their learning outcomes in STEM-related courses. The main research approach employed in this quantitative analysis is descriptive verification. Every student enrolled at Banten Health Polytechnic participated in this study. This study employed an approach of selecting a sample at random. The study has a sample size of 100 students. Data was collected through the use of questionnaires for this research. This research utilises descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, namely PATH analysis conducted with Smart PLS 3.0 software. The STEM learning model had a significant impact on student learning outcomes (p<0.05), as well as on their self-efficacy (p<0.05). Additionally, the self-efficacy of students had a significant impact on the effectiveness of the STEM learning model (p<0.05). It is anticipated that additional research will result in a STEM education method that will empower all students to thrive. This research suggests that students can utilise STEM in the classroom for learning.

Women’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Persistence After University Graduation: Insights From Kazakhstan

Women’s persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been widely researched in educational settings, whereas less is known about their STEM persistence after graduation. Drawing on social cognitive career theory and in-depth semi-structured interviews with twenty women graduates majoring in STEM fields, this article explores women’s persistence in STEM fields in Kazakhstan within four years after university graduation. The findings of the study are mapped around four themes—STEM self-efficacy beliefs, STEM career outcome expectations, organizational factors, and socio-structural factors—that are found important in shaping STEM women’s post-graduation career choices. The study also reveals factors accounting for disparities in women’s STEM persistence across different STEM fields. Implications highlight the need for more work at organizational and socio-structural levels to develop favorable conditions motivating and enabling women to persist in STEM careers within a patriarchal context.

A New Generation of Citizen Scientists: Self-Efficacy and Skill Growth in a Voluntary Project Applied in the College Classroom Setting

Using citizen science resources and projects in university education is a burgeoning pedagogical tool that can promote real-world application of science, autonomous learning, and understanding of self-efficacy in science learning. In this case study, we examined several factors relating to self-efficacy and skill growth in STEM and non-STEM majors in life science courses of different levels at one university. Four life science classes in Fall 2022 (n = 109 students) voluntarily participated in a self-guided pollinator training module. Motivations, previous awareness, participation, and self-efficacy and self-identification for citizen science participation and for general scientific inquiry were assessed through pre- and post-surveys before and after module training. Students characterized themselves as STEM or non-STEM majors to understand self-identity. In having students self-report their identity in STEM, we found a trend (79.2%) of natural resource and agricultural majors ranking themselves as non-STEM. Across all participants, we observed a significant increase for learning outcomes between pre- and post-survey results (ɑ = 0.05). Self-reported non-STEM students showed a positive trend between surveys across survey questions. In comparison, self-reported STEM students showed very little increase across surveys but ranked highly in both pre- and post-survey results (mean = 3.42 out of 4). Overall, our findings suggest that even small-scale citizen science–based projects may increase students’ familiarity with concepts based in scientific inquiry and meet learning outcomes benefitting the goals of both higher education and citizen science initiatives.

How Constructivist Learning Impacts Secondary Girls’ STEM Career Interests

This is a quantitative study that examines how constructivist learning in a summer camp impacted middle school and high school girls’ STEM knowledge, self-efficacy, and ultimately, their interests in future STEM learning and growth. An online survey was used to collect information from thirty-one girls at the end of a five-week summer camp. The results are mostly confirmative of past studies that used student-centered project-based authentic STEM learning with significant gains in students’ understanding of STEM, self-efficacy, and interests in STEM for future development. The unique contribution of the study, though, is the finding that, when given the opportunity to engage in active learning and problem-solving, girls’ interest in STEM subjects could be substantially boosted; the constructivist learning environment along with their gains in STEM knowledge can compensate any insufficiency in self-efficacy in this regard. This study provides insight about the importance of instructional approach in STEM education.

Evaluation of the STEM self-efficacy of science teachers in Northern Cyprus secondary education

The main purpose of this research is to reveal the current situation of the STEM self-efficacy of teachers working in public and private secondary schools in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus through analysis. The universe of the present study consisted of 41 science teachers in secondary education institutions affiliated with the TRNC Ministry of National Education. The experimental research technique, a quantitative research approach, was used in the present study. In this research, the STEM Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, which was adapted into Turkish by Yakar, Özdemir, and Vural (2018), was used as a data collection tool. SPSS 23 was used for the analysis of quantitative data. The STEM self-efficacy levels of the participating teachers were determined to be at a "medium level", and there were statistically significant differences from each other in terms of the teachers’ age, experience and education levels and their previous participation in STEM education in terms of their self-efficacy levels toward STEM. The findings obtained as a result of the research were discussed with the relevant literature. Finally, recommendations for practice and further research are presented.

Exploring South African Students’ STEM Self-Efficacy and Attitudes in Non-Formal Learning Experiences

This study explored the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) attitudes and self-efficacy of secondary students identifying as Black South African, multi-racial or Afrikaans South African, or Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe nationals who participated in a non-formal STEM education camp programme. Using Bandura’s social cognitive theory for self-efficacy and attitude, this study sought to document participants’ STEM self-efficacy and attitudinal factors related to the camp experience. Survey data were collected before and after participants’ participation in the camp and a delayed post-measurement after 18 months of exposure. Results indicated a significant increase in the self-efficacy concept of conceptual understanding over time between the pre-test and delayed post-test; however, there were no indicated differences over time for the other self-efficacy constructs of Higher Order Cognitive Skills, Practical Work, Everyday Application and Science Communication. Analyses of the STEM attitude constructs showed differences between the Twenty-first Century Skills (increase over time from pre-test to delayed post-test) and Your Future (decrease over time from pre-test to delayed post-test) constructs with no differences for Mathematics, Science and Engineering and Technology. Furthermore, there were no detected differences of self-efficacy and attitudes from pre-test to post-test. These findings suggest that participating in a singular, non-formal STEM learning event may not be sufficient to document changes in self-efficacy and attitudes from the pre- to post-learning experience; however, the experience could have been one of many learning events that may have provided an opportunity for supporting South African students’ self-efficacy and attitude growth, especially in Conceptual Understanding and Twenty-first Century Skills.

Pre-service science teachers' computational thinking skills and STEM self-efficacy

Pre-service science teachers' computational thinking skills and STEM self-efficacy

Investigate the Relationship between Mathematics Teachers' Computational Thinking and STEM Self-Efficacy

Bu araştırmada matematik öğretmenlerinin bilgi işlemsel düşünme (BİD) ve STEM öz yeterliklerinin ve aralarındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesi ve öğrenim durumu, mesleki kıdem yılı, STEM deneyimine sahip olma değişkenlerine göre incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Araştırmada nicel araştırma desenlerinden ilişkisel tarama modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırma evrenini 2022-2023 yılında Türkiye’de görev yapmakta olan ilköğretim ve ortaöğretim matematik öğretmenleri oluşturmakta olup araştırma 340 matematik öğretmeni ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma verileri “Demografik Bilgi Formu”, Özçınar & Öztürk (2017) tarafından geliştirilen “Hesaplamalı düşünmenin öğretimine ilişkin öz yeterlik algısı ölçeği” ve Yaman (2020) tarafından geliştirilen “STEM sınıf içi uygulama öz yeterlik algı ölçeği” ile toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde betimsel istatistik, korelasyon analizi, ANOVA ve bağımsız örneklemler t-testi kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, matematik öğretmenlerinin BİD öz yeterlikleri “algoritmik düşünmenin öğretimi” boyutunda düşük, diğer boyutlarda ise orta düzeyde iken, STEM öz yeterlikleri tüm boyutlarda yüksek düzeydedir. Ayrıca öğretmenlerin BİD ve STEM öz yeterlikleri arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bununla birlikte matematik öğretmenlerinin BİD öz yeterlik puanları öğrenim durumu ve STEM deneyimine sahip olma durumuna göre farklılık gösterirken; mesleki kıdem yılına göre farklılık göstermemektedir. STEM öz yeterlik puanları ise öğrenim durumu ve mesleki kıdem yılına göre farklılık göstermezken; STEM deneyimine sahip olma durumuna göre farklılık göstermektedir. Buradan hareketle öğretmenlere BİD’in entegre edildiği uygulama ağırlıklı STEM hizmet içi eğitimlerin verilmesi ve bu konuda yapılacak çalışmalarda STEM ve BİD öz yeterlikleri arasındaki ilişkinin nedenleri daha derinlemesine incelenmesi önerilmektedir.

STEM professional development program for gifted education teachers: STEM lesson plan design competence, self-efficacy, computational thinking and entrepreneurial skills

This study examined the impact of a 10-month STEM professional development (PD) program on 25 teachers working with gifted students. The program aimed to enhance pedagogical knowledge and competencies. Findings indicated significant positive improvements in teachers' STEM self-efficacy, computational thinking, and entrepreneurship skills. The PD program also had a direct positive influence on the quality of lesson plans. The study suggests that effective PD design should incorporate scientific inquiry, engineering design processes, computational thinking, entrepreneurship skills, and the development of teachers' self-efficacy for successful implementation of PD outcomes in STEM education.

Developing STEM Career Identities among Latinx Youths: Collaborative Design, Evaluations, and Adaptations during COVID-19.

In response to the low representation of Latinx adults in STEM occupations, this community-based participatory action research study aims to increase the number of middle school youths developing STEM career identities and entering high school with the intention to pursue STEM careers. The students were provided with summer and after-school activities focusing on network science and career development curricula. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design and career narratives, this study examined the changes in STEM and career self-efficacy, as well as career identity. The results show improvements in self-efficacy, an increased number of youths with intentions of pursuing future STEM career opportunities, and deeper reflections on their talents and skills after program participation. This paper also describes the program development and implementation in detail, as well as the adaptations that resulted from COVID-19, for scholars and educators designing similar programs. This study provides promising evidence for the quality of STEM and career development lessons in supporting the emergence of a STEM career identity and self-efficacy.