The Role of STEM Capital in the Development of STEM Self-Efficacy and STEM Identity

• In Event: Motivation in Education SIG Poster Session: The Role of Students' and Teachers' Competence Beliefs and Value Beliefs

Abstract

STEM Self-Efficacy, STEM Identity, and STEM Capital have each been documented individually as being influential on youths’ decisions to engage with STEM in formal and informal education settings. However, the interconnection of these three concepts has not been well documented quantitatively. This quantitative study uses moderation analyses to examine the interactions between these concepts. We examine data from eleven informal STEM afterschool programs and summer camps (N=148 youth) that occurred between 2017 to 2019 across the United States. Initial analyses yielded few statistically significant findings. However, the patterns observed in the data provide a starting point in documenting the role that STEM Capital plays in developing youths’ STEM Self-Efficacy and STEM Identity.

Authors

• Kari L Roberts, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

• Roxanne M. Hughes, Florida State University

• jennifer schellinger, The Florida State University