Investigating Academic and Demographic Similarities to Career Role Models for Motivating Diverse Students in STEM

• In Event: Beyond Seeing Success: Exploring Optimal Features of Role Models and Mentors to Broaden STEM Participation

Abstract

Objectives and Theoretical Framework
Role models, or successful exemplars with STEM careers, can be powerful tools to broaden the participation of women and historically marginalized race/ethnic (HMRE) students (Gladstone & Cimpian, 2021) in STEM. Similar role models are hypothesized to be more influential than less similar models at shaping students’ STEM motivation (defined using major constructs of situated expectancy-value theory; Eccles & Wigfield, 2020; Morgenroth et al., 2015). However, students can feel similarly to role models in many ways (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, academic interests; Chen & Rosenzweig, under review) and it is not known which dimensions of similarity most effectively support motivation. The purpose of this study was to examine how six different similarities to STEM role models relate to college students’ motivation and certainty for pursuing STEM careers, with particular attention to patterns depending on students’ gender and racial/ethnic background.

Method
Participants were 1,870 college students with STEM career plans (69.7% Women; 13.7% HMRE students), enrolled in 26 different STEM courses at a southeastern U.S. public university.
In an online survey about their career plans, participants reported exposure to a STEM career role model (“Please think about the career you said you were most likely to pursue. Do you know anyone who has this career?”). Students with a STEM role model (n = 1185) then reported their perceptions of similarity to their model in terms of six dimensions: academic similarities [i.e., abilities, performance, efforts, values; each rated from (1) not at all similar to (7) very similar] and demographic similarities [i.e., gender, race/ethnicity; each rated from (1) not at all similar, (2) some similarities/some differences, or (3) completely similar].
Participants reported motivational beliefs for their STEM career in terms of competence-related (4 items; α = .81) and task value (14 items; α = .91) beliefs (Rosenzweig et al., under review). Participants also reported their certainty of pursuing their STEM career plan (1 item). All items were rated from (1) not at all true to (7) very true. Finally, participants reported gender, race/ethnicity, and college GPA.
Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore which dimensions of role model similarities were associated with motivational beliefs and career certainty. Multi-group SEM analyses were used to examine patterns by gender and/or HMRE background.

Results and Significance
Perceiving similar academic abilities, values, and efforts were positively related to motivational beliefs, which were in turn associated with career certainty (Figure 1). These findings shed light on key features of similarity to STEM role models that may optimally support college students’ STEM career motivation. Multi-group analyses also revealed important patterns by both gender and racial/ethnic background. Specifically, men and women were motivated by different dimensions of similarities to their role models (Figure 2). Additionally, while similar abilities, values, and efforts were associated with motivational beliefs for White and/or Asian students, only similar academic efforts were positively associated with motivational beliefs among HMRE students (Figure 3). Therefore, perceiving similar efforts to role models may be especially powerful at supporting HMRE students’ STEM career motivation.

Authors

• Xiao-Yin Chen, University of Tennessee

• Emily Quinn Rosenzweig, Teachers College, Columbia University