This study examined the association between elementary students' (N = 1627; 51.3% girls, ages 4-12) engineering-related ability beliefs (competence), task-value beliefs (interest, importance), and career aspirations. Findings suggest that mean levels of children's engineering-related beliefs did not vary by gender. High levels of competence,…

This dissertation investigates the issue of gender stratification within engineering and other STEM-related fields. The dissertation is divided into three articles that address different aspects of the problem and propose potential solutions. Article 1 explores the persistent gender imbalance within STEM fields, particularly in engineering and…

Historically, Black students have been positioned using a deficit perspective (Valencia, 1997; 2010), resulting in students' classroom and schooling experiences being less than favorable. For example, Black students have experienced a disproportionate number of suspensions and unequal discipline measures (Howard & Rodriguez-Minkoff, 2017; U.S.…

At the time of this writing, little research had been completed on the occupational aspirations of students and students' perceptions of their parents' career satisfaction. I completed a qualitative study in which I compared the occupational aspirations of 14 third-grade students, 7 girls and 7 boys, from a low socio-economic school and 14…

This article reports on a survey of 332 Year 3 students from 14 Australian schools. We are interested in exploring Year 3 primary school student aspirations and what this data shows us about any societal changes, or not. This study is timely as it reports on contemporary data within an Australian educational context marked by significant…

It has been found that participation in informal, year-long STEM programmes for "primary school children" encourages further STEM learning and motivates STEM career aspirations. To date, no previous research has investigated such programmes. The study's goals were to collect and analyse demographic data about the 3rd-6th grade…

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to investigate if there was a difference in students' interest to pursue STEM pathways in a southern Colorado school district, based on if they received STEM education or traditional education at the elementary level. Students in the sixth grade at two junior high schools were given…

A growing body of research addresses students' images of scientists using the Draw-a-Scientist-Test (DAST) and its Checklist (DAST-C). These protocols rest on the assumption that stereotypical views of scientists, as identified by the presence of multiple indicators in student drawings (e.g. lab coat, male gender; eyeglasses; facial hair), may…

Previous research in higher education often considers social identity characteristics and how they intersect with a range of educational outcomes. Yet, few studies have investigated how higher education informs both the development of social identities and a distinct political identity. Based on interviews with 39 students across four…

In comparison to men, the high school principal role in Texas is a position that few women obtain in their educational leadership journey. Even though women are statistically more prominently employed as teachers in K-12 public education in Texas, women are not equally represented in the superintendency. This disparity of representation starts at…

This article examines the future as a technique of government aimed at controlling young people's relationships to the present. It analyses the futures deemed feasible in a school located in a border area affected by the Colombian armed conflict. Based on ethnographic data collected primarily between 2013 and 2014, this study highlights the…

Sports participation and elite sporting success are fundamental to Australian culture and a prominent source of national pride. As sport is a major part of day-to-day living in Australia, it is not surprising that many young people aspire to careers as sportspersons. While such aspirations are often dismissed as fanciful and unattainable, the…

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…

This study examines the effects of integrated science, technology, and engineering (STE) education on second-, third-, and fourth-grade students' STE content knowledge and aspirations concerning engineering after validation of the measures. During the 2009-2010 school year, 59 elementary school teachers, who attended a week-long engineering…

This article focuses on the degree that "students' aspirations" (educational and occupational) are linked to or affected by their working status, and other personal or family characteristics. By drawing data from a larger cross-sectional study of the social and educational profile of students in primary and secondary education (ages…