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.…

Introduction: Analysis of the relationship between test scores and other variables provides an important source of evidence for validity. As a new instrument, evidence of validity of Pictorial Vocational Interest Inventory (PVII) is needed to support its psychometric properties. The purpose of this study is to obtain evidence of the validity of…

A scoping review of peer-reviewed academic literature on career interest measures for the African adolescents was conducted. The aim was to determine current knowledge and future research. Measuring learners' career interests during high school is imperative to promote a positive start to their career trajectory. A sample of 10 articles…

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…

The problem motivating this study is the urgent need to explore the antecedents of STEM career interest and the growing importance of coding in STEM careers, coupled with the unclear relationship between intrinsic coding interest and STEM career interest. To narrow the research gap, this study explores the direct and indirect effects of intrinsic…

Both personalization and utility value (UV) interventions have emerged in educational psychology as ways to increase students' interest in learning an academic subject, and potentially improve learning outcomes. However, empirical results for each approach have been mixed and these approaches have worked differently for different groups of…

Agriculture is a significant contributor to the global economy and critical for future food and fibre production. To maximise the industry efficiencies and improve sustainability, a knowledgeable workforce is essential. Today's school-aged youth will be the next generation agriculture workforce. However, there is concern that today's youth are…

This study examines the extent to which students obtain postsecondary credentials in the career technical education (CTE) fields of focus they choose in high school. Using school fixed effects models, we find that focusing on a particular CTE field in high school is associated with an increased probability of enrolling and obtaining a…

Although an increase in their participation could reduce workforce shortages and diversify innovations in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, African American women remain significantly underrepresented in male-dominated AEC careers. Furthermore, partly due to the lack of early and meaningful AEC exposure, African…

There is a considerable lack of women in the engineering disciplines at tertiary level in New Zealand. This is an economic issue because innovation and creativity in engineering are supported by diversity which directly and indirectly supports the New Zealand economy. Improving diversity in engineering will also improve equity. Literature suggests…

The present study aims to identify unrealistic career optimism among Korean high school students and to examine its characteristics. Cluster analysis was conducted to identify the number of groups classified by the reported levels of career aspirations and career preparation behaviors among 420 Korean high school students, and each group's…

This multi-methods study explores changes in engineering interest and identity of middle and high school students (n = 79) attending introductory-level engineering summer camps at a large western land grant university. Middle school is a critical time when student interest, identity, and subsequently career choice begin to emerge and hence it is…

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between middle school students' attitudes towards robotic coding and their STEM career interests. For this purpose, data were collected from a total of 213 students studying in three different secondary schools in a province in the south of Turkey. The "STEM Career Interest" scale and…

Previous research suggests that girls have higher occupational aspirations than boys before entering the labor market. We investigate whether this gender gap in occupational aspirations generalizes to secondary school students in Germany and illuminate the possible mechanisms behind these purported gender differences. For this purpose, we used a…

Pre-post paired data gathered from 15 students enrolled in a career and technical education high school course focusing on teacher education were analyzed to measure the impact due to experiences in a simulated teaching environment. The main research focus was to explore the relationship between variables considered to be important for the success…