Developing Valid Measures of Scientific Self-Perceptions and Interest in Elementary Students Traditionally Underrepresented in STEM

• In Event: Practice and Evaluation in Psychometrics

Abstract

Racial and socioeconomic disparities in STEM achievement emerge early and widen over time. Self-perceptions and interest drive achievement, leading to efforts to increase underrepresented students’ interest and efficacy in science. However, a lack of reliable and valid measures to assess elementary students’ scientific self-perceptions and interests hinders our capacity to determine the effectiveness of such efforts. We developed such measures and established their properties in a sample of third-grade students traditionally underrepresented in STEM careers. We present initial evidence for the reliability and validity of these measures and reveal their multi-dimensional nature. These measures can be used by researchers to uncover the nature of young students’ scientific self-perceptions and by practitioners and evaluators to identify effective programs.

Authors

• Kristin M. Gagnier, AnLar

• Kelly R. Fisher, AnLar

• Steven J. Holochwost, Wolf Brown

• Melissa Ceren, Graduate Center - CUNY