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An Examination of Science Motivation and Plans to Persist in Rural African American Adolescents
Sat, April 10, 10:40am to 12:10pm EDT (10:40am to 12:10pm EDT), Division C, Division C - Section 2b: Learning and Motivation in Social and Cultural Contexts Paper and Symposium SessionsAbstract
Students choose high school courses and begin career preparation paths based on perceived ability, motivation, and opportunity (Andersen & Ward, 2014; NSB, 2018). African Americans are underrepresented in Science and Engineering (S&E) occupations, comprising just 4.8% of the labor force (NSF, 2017). This study used data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 641 rural African American students during ninth-grade and eleventh-grade. Analyses of students’ science self-efficacy and subjective task values were conducted, as well as tests for gender differences and changes in students’ plans to persist in science. Students’ motivation did not differ across time although gender differences were uncovered. Rural adolescents maintained steady levels of science motivation and mirror the overall participation of African Americans in S&E occupations.