Examining How Math and Science Identities Support Migratory High School Students' Engineering Career Aspirations (Poster 10)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 1
  In Poster Session: Computational Thinking and the Learner and Educator Experience (San Diego)

Abstract

Migratory children and youth are those whose families have a mobile lifestyle as agricultural farm workers, following the seasonal harvest. Despite the academic challenges these students face, the pathway into engineering and broadly STEM fields should not be considered closed. To date, no study has sought to examine how the math and science identity-shaping mechanisms support migratory high school students’ engineering career aspirations. Through mediation analysis we found that science identity-shaping mechanisms of i.e., interest, recognition, and performance/competence beliefs did not support an engineering career aspiration. Migratory students’ math performance/competence beliefs supported their interest and together both constructs supported their engineering career aspirations. Interest in math was the only identity-shaping construct that directly supported migratory students’ engineering career aspirations.

Author

• Dina Verdin, Arizona State University