Exploring Queer and Trans High School Students’ STEM Portraits With Latent Profile Analysis (Poster 7)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 3:20 p.m.
  In Poster Session: Quantitative Approaches to Queer Education Research

Abstract

There is a need to explore queer and trans (QT) students’ experiences in STEM in order to be able to better meet their needs. The present study asks the following research question: What distinct STEM profiles emerge from science and math measures in ninth grade for QT students? Using latent profile analysis with a sample of about 1,600 QT students in the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009, a five-profile solution was deemed the most appropriate due to, ranging from 4-41% of the sample of students in each group. The largest percentage of QT students are in the low mathematics and neutral science scores’ group, meaning that they may not do well in mathematics and be apathetic in science.

Author

• Mario I Suárez, Utah State University