STEM Career Interest in Secondary School and Its Relationship to Student Achievement and Professional Education

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding Learning Outcomes Through Students' Beliefs, Perspectives, and Interests

Abstract

STEM is a field that is vital in the supply of students for professional education programs for the future of the country and economy. This study focuses on STEM career interest of students from grade 7 to 11 and how it relates to their achievement in mathematics and science. The analyses used mixed model for longitudinal data. We tested for gender differences in students’ interest in STEM careers and found significant differences throughout secondary school where males had higher probability to be either somewhat or very interested in STEM career. We also found students who are consistently very interested in STEM careers tend to have higher math and science achievement compared to other groups. Implications of this result are discussed.

Authors

• Laurentius Ardian Susadya, University of Iowa

• Catherine Welch, University of Iowa

• Stephen B. Dunbar, University of Iowa