Interested, Disinterested, or Neutral: Exploring STEM Interest Profiles and Pathways in a Low-Income Urban Community

Autor/inn/en	Staus, Nancy L.; Falk, John H.; Penuel, William; Dierking, Lynn; Wyld, Jennifer; Bailey, Deborah
Titel	Interested, Disinterested, or Neutral: Exploring STEM Interest Profiles and Pathways in a Low-Income Urban Community
Quelle	In: EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 16 (2020) 6, (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1305-8223
Schlagwörter	Urban Youth; STEM Education; Adolescents; Gender Differences; Self Concept; Student Interests; Middle School Students; Parent Attitudes; Scientific Attitudes; Grade 6; Grade 7; Science Interests; Persistence; Oregon + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Urban area; Urban areas; Youth; Stadtregion; Stadt; Jugend; STEM; Adolescent; Adolescence; Adoleszenz; Jugendalter; Jugendlicher; Geschlechterkonflikt; Selbstkonzept; Studieninteresse; Middle school; Middle schools; Student; Students; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Elternverhalten; School year 06; 6. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 06; School year 07; 7. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 07; Ausdauer
Abstract	To better understand STEM interest development during adolescence in an urban community, we examined how "STEM Interested" youth differed from disinterested youth and how interest changed over time from age 11/12 to 12/13. We surveyed youth to measure interest in four components of STEM, used cluster analysis to categorize youth based on STEM interest, and examined how interest profiles and pathways differed for several explanatory factors (e.g., parental support, gender). Three STEM interest profiles emerged from the analysis: Stem Interested, Math Disinterested, and STEM Disinterested. Only STEM Disinterested youth lost interest in science, technology/engineering, and mathematics while the remaining 76% of youth remained at least somewhat interested in science and technology/engineering. Girls were just as likely as boys to identify as STEM Interested. Participation in out-of-school STEM activities and positive parental attitudes toward science were significant predictors of persistent STEM interest. Decreases in STEM interest were associated with declines in science self-concept and perceived parental attitudes toward science. Results suggested that declining STEM interest may not be the norm for urban youth. The findings also revealed factors that may influence declining STEM interest and reinforced the importance of out-of-school factors in developing and sustaining STEM interest during adolescence. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01