The journey to pursue and persist with a career in STEM is a complex process that begins at a young age, continues across secondary education and the end of school transition to university. Such decisions are influenced by a range of personal, social and environmental factors, highlighting the practical complexities of supporting young people in…

Though documented extensively using self-report measures - especially in post-secondary course contexts - the relations among students' interest, engagement, and academic achievement in high school science courses has been studied far less - especially when considering online versions of these courses. Self-reported interest collected at the…

During adolescence, individuals make key decisions about coursework, and career paths, including paths toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study identified groups of adolescents who vary in STEM career interests, feelings of support, and perceptions of barriers in STEM and explored what factors predict…

Science remains an exclusionary field to people who do not align with "acceptable" worldviews (e.g., white, Western, masculine). One avenue for making science more welcoming and inclusive is to empower current science students to become change agents in their fields. However, it is useful to understand where students are starting from…

Students' strongly positive STEM interest and identity predict their future study and career choices in a STEM field. STEM education studies addressing multiple disciplines together are insufficient, as they have produced mixed findings and inadequate direction for advancing integrated STEM education. Self-determination theory (SDT) provides an…

There are studies that examine the impact of undergraduate research experiences on students, often concluding that there are benefits to such experiences. Using social career cognitive theory, our research aims to add to the literature by examining the long-term effects, including career path and inclusion in research field, of an undergraduate…

This meta-analysis explores the impact of informal science education experiences (such as after-school programs, enrichment activities, etc.) on students' attitudes towards, and interest in, STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The research addresses two primary questions: (1) What is the overall effect size of…

Declining interests in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) related careers are concerning at a time when the society is becoming more reliant on complex technologies and science. Our study examined the predictors of students' STEM career interests within cohort data (N = 601) collected from Finnish general upper secondary…

Efforts to diversify STEM fields have not completely eliminated higher rates of women leaving certain science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, such as geosciences. A diverse mentorship network is linked to persistence in STEM among college students, but little is known about how it leads to persistence. In particular,…

STEM, STEAM education is important for building a better future, and teachers have a key role in attracting students to the field of STEM. However, when teachers need to shift from traditional disciplinary-based education to integrated STEM education, they often find this transition challenging. This difficulty arises because their beliefs about…

Background and context of the study: This research employed a person-centred approach to evaluate the effectiveness of a recruitment intervention aimed at attracting STEM undergraduate students to the teaching profession. The study aimed to identify participant profiles based on changes of interest in teaching, examine the demographic factors…

Despite its increasing importance in today's society, STEM learning opportunities in rural areas are limited. Factors such as limited learning resources and experiences may negatively impact students in rural areas in developing interest for STEM subjects, and eventually STEM careers. In this qualitative study, our purpose was to understand how…

Many science fiction conventions host interactive sessions and activities related to science fiction, fantasy, and popular culture media for the public. Specialized sessions known as "science tracks" are spaces where science professionals and conference attendees discuss and question the science embedded within science fiction fandoms.…

This study assessed elementary school students' conceptions of STEM professions and its potential influence on STEM career interest, as well as the moderation effect of gender on the relationships between conceptions of STEM professionals and career interest in STEM. A total of 216 grade 3 through 5 students in Hong Kong participated in this…

Rural youth may have a distinct vantage point on STEM issues in their community, and if STEM interest is developed at a young age, the likelihood of solving these in adulthood may occur. Therefore, a place-conscious informal STEM program was developed to be delivered to youth ages eight to twelve in rural communities. Qualitative methods,…