The aims of this research were to examine the changes in the students' perceptions of engineers, engineering as a profession, learning of engineering design processes (EDP), awareness of engineering branches, and their future career choices through Engineering Design Process activities with the 5E learning model. Sixty disadvantaged students…

The aim of the study is to examine the career choices of 4th grade students from gender perspective. The research was designed as a mixed method in which qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used together. 417 primary school students participated in the study in which "Attitude Towards Gender-Based Career Choices Scale"…

This issue of the Adult Skills in Focus series looks at gender differences in reading (literacy) and mathematics (numeracy) skills, and in particular how these differences evolve as people grow up. The analysis use data on three different assessments, administered to children in fourth grade (around 10 year-olds), to 15-year old adolescents, and…

The past decade has brought increased focus on STEM learning (Bell, Lewenstein, Shouse, & Feder, 2009; NGSS Lead States, 2013; U.S. Department of Education, 2015). The growth of STEM-related industries and the power associated with STEM fields make access to STEM careers an equity issue (Buechley, 2016). Despite gains in educational…

This study aims to discuss the importance of education in vertical transition between social strata in the context of career choices and vocational awareness sources in children with low socioeconomic level. The study used a phenomenological design within a qualitative research approach framework. The study group consisted of 55 fourth-grade…

Children's understanding of factors influencing their career choices was examined. Seventy-two children, in grades kindergarten, 4, and 8, responded to questions about their perceptions of career influences. Responses were coded to capture the nature of the influences identified, including the global versus specific and linear versus interacting…

Which occupation to pursue is one of the more consequential decisions people make and represents a key developmental task. Yet the underlying developmental processes associated with either individual or group differences in occupational choices are still not well understood. This study contributes toward filling this gap, focusing in particular on…

The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between early career and college interventions and college-going self-efficacy of suburban fourth and fifth grade students. This study further explored how a suburban school district addressed challenges and evaluated the perceptions of the system's strategies and implementation of a…

Students' attitudes and conceptions seem to be influenced by social/cultural contexts and interactions with other students from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, educators need to study attitudes, conceptions, and career choices in relation to diversity indicators. Such was one focus of the Science Education for Diversity project, which involved…

This investigation employed exploratory methods to examine career aspirations in 141 students in Grades 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 from an international school in Bangkok. Students specified the jobs that they were most likely to pursue as adults, rated the importance of potential influences in making career decisions, and drew a picture of themselves in…

As policymakers endeavor to address the teacher shortage as a whole, they should also consider the research around teacher diversity and explore policies that aim to increase the achievement of minority students. This issue of "coNCepts" examines the diversity gap in North Carolina and highlights the need for a strategic solution that…

This paper describes a subset of results from a large-scale two-year independent evaluation study conducted with the "Scientists in School" (SiS) outreach program and two large school boards in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, it explores the responses of elementary students (n= 811) from typically underrepresented groups in science…