Unstructured out-of-school time (OST) science activities, such as reading a science book, watching a science television show, or researching on the internet about science, constitute a self-sustaining way for adolescents to engage in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Although it is suggested that long-term engagement in…

Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) programs are a burgeoning approach to engage teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) research that they can translate into their K-12 classrooms. Despite an increase in studies of RETs, there is a need for comparison of RET and non-RET teachers' student outcomes. This mixed methods,…

Gendered barriers in education and attrition along the academic and professional pipeline are key determinants of the current STEM skills shortage. While enrolment in STEM undergraduate courses has been increasing in the recent decades, STEM degree choices still suffer from considerable gender imbalance, whereby women are underrepresented in…

An explanation for the underrepresentation of women in mathematical fields is the communal goal congruity perspective; that women tend to value communal over agentic goals, perceived to not be afforded by mathematical careers. Less is known about how agentic and communal goals may interact to influence mathematical career trajectories. Analysing a…

Astronomy is seen as a "gateway" science, inspiring students to pursue Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM) related careers. However, there is little evidence that students' attitudes towards astronomy remain stable over time. By integrating Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), we identified…

The use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) mentors in public school systems and other organizations has grown comparably with our economy's increasing demand for STEM industry professionals. However, inspiring students to pursue STEM careers by using STEM industry professionals as mentors requires an understanding of…

The transition from middle to high school can be especially challenging for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Also, students with disabilities experience greater barriers when considering careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Academic interest and social support may play a critical role…

The United States has a shortage of qualified workers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields (Zhang & Barnett, 2015). There is a critical shortage of underrepresented students seeking science majors and possible science-based careers. The purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of underrepresented…

In the current study, gymnasium students' technology-related career orientations were studied from a Social Cognitive Career Theory perspective. In order to address students' lack of interest in technology-related careers as recognised worldwide, the design-based science learning (DBSL) approach was used. For the purposes of the current study,…