Enhancing STEM Outcomes: The Link Between Self-Efficacy, Advanced Course-Taking, and Credit Accumulation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 1:45 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: STEM Student Identities, Experiences, and Outcomes (Table 4)

Abstract

The demand for STEM professionals has been increasing in recent years. However, the number of high school students meeting postsecondary STEM readiness benchmarks has been on a steady decline. One way to raise STEM standards among high school students is through exposure to more STEM-related coursework. This study used the nationally representative High School Longitudinal Study (HSLS) dataset to explore how math and science self-efficacy relate with STEM credit accumulation and advanced math and science course-taking. We found that science self-efficacy is positively associated with STEM credit accumulation and with a higher probability of taking advanced science coursework. We explore how these outcomes differ for students with learning disabilities (SWLDs) and discuss the significance of our findings

Authors

• Desmond Myles, The Ohio State University

• Jay Plasman, The Ohio State University