This study explored the relationship between middle school students' mathematics- and science-related motivational dispositions and their attitudes toward STEM-related careers. To better understand these constructs, we regressed motivational variables from the Situated Expectancy-Value Framework (Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. 2020. From…

There is a decline in recent years in the number of students studying chemistry in higher education. Many studies have been conducted on elementary and high school students' choice with fewer focusing on the factors that influence undergraduate students to choose to major in chemistry. Research also indicates that belonging to a minority group…

The evidence regarding the effectiveness of STEM support programs for K-12 students to spark their interest in the STEM field is mixed. The goals and contents of support programs vary and mostly cover short intervention periods. So far, not many studies exist that cover different learning characteristics of students in long-term STEM support…

Countless factors influence students' educational and career choices. We examined potential impacts on international students' choices to study STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory (Bussey & Bandura, 1999). Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), we analyzed…

This convergent mixed-methods study aimed to evaluate the mentorships in a high school with well-established student mentorship opportunities. Examining the characteristics and role of mentorships for students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers determined how mentorships impact STEM career decisions.…

Technology and innovation are reshaping our societies and economies at an accelerated pace, requiring new skills for individuals to thrive in economy and society and new educational models to support these changes. In response, world organizations seek solutions rooted in sustainable human development to ensure that future educational models are…

Inequities in STEM persist, notably in underrepresented groups relating to gender, race, socio-economic status, and disability. The purpose of this study was to explore correlations between STEM identities, personal identities, mentor-related experiences, and academic/career persistence of undergraduate students in Idaho public post-secondary…

There has been a sustained interest in student perceptions about STEM fields and their choice of careers over the past few decades. Research has shown that there is a decline in students pursuing STEM careers, and this has raised global concern. Despite these issues, no unistructural, broad, parsimonious and unambiguous quantitative instrument…

Given its ongoing struggles at attaining demographic diversity and its key role in nations' economies, the engineering workforce receives considerable attention from researchers and policymakers. Yet, prior studies and STEM recruitment initiatives have often underemphasized the variety among available engineering jobs and careers. It therefore…

Improving the rate at which individuals enter STEM careers remains a national concern, and there is a critical need for additional research examining the impact of career development programs for undergraduate STEM majors. Most career development studies are grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), which states that students progressing…

Students' positive perceptions of scientists or engineers have been reported to be positively related to their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career aspirations. However, other research indicates that positive perceptions of experts in these fields might not necessarily lead to students' pursuit of STEM careers.…

Background: Studying science identity has been useful for understanding students' continuation in science-related education and career paths. Yet knowledge and theory related to science identity among students on the path to becoming a professional science researcher, such as students engaged in research at the undergraduate, postbaccalaureate,…

Given the shortage of STEM workers, it is important to examine the factors associated with students' academic career intentions. However, the mechanism through which subjective norms influence academic career intentions has not been determined. Our study empirically tests a model identifying science identity as an intervening variable in this…

This article addressed the significant issue of identity crisis experienced by students in their choice of profession, as highlighted in various research studies. The importance of examining professional was emphasized to identity development from a disciplinary perspective, particularly in the biosciences and allied fields. To achieve this, we…

"Dalits" are a historically marginalized caste group in India. In this study, we examine the impact that the institution of caste has on career change. Focusing on the shift from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to non-STEM careers, we ask why members of the Dalit communities in India leave their STEM careers. To…