Am I a STEM Professional? The Development and Results of a Measure of Student Professional Identity Development

• In Event: Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: Examining Engagement in Science Across People, Places, and Time

Abstract

Post secondary education is anticipated to substantially contribute to student cognitive growth and professional success. However, there is limited knowledge of how STEM students develop professionally. To explore STEM student professional identity development we used the lens of self-authorship (Baxter Magolda, 1998). The purpose of our study is to develop an instrument to be used for large scale assessment of STEM student professional identity through the lens of self-authorship. Through the process of instrument development we assessed the relationship between level of STEM student perceptions of their professional identity and their educational experiences, learning preferences, and interaction with faculty comfort. Our results indicate that several proxy questions may be useful for assessing STEM student professional identity development.

Authors

• Louis S. Nadelson, Utah State University

• Sharon McGuire