Be Curious and Persistent: Joint Roles of Curiosity and Persistence in Adolescents’ STEM Learning (Poster 21)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 1:30 p.m.
  In Poster Session: Patterns, Networks, Trajectories, and More! Exploring Individual Beliefs and Diverse Correlates

Abstract

While curiosity and persistence emerge as two pillars of STEM learning, some studies suggested that their roles can be counter-productive. To uncover their “two-edge” dynamics and optimize their academic benefits, this study examined linear/non-linear roles of curiosity and persistence alongside their interplay in later STEM achievement, and further explored the age-related differences. Using a one-year longitudinal dataset from the USA (N=4199, 6-12th grades), response-surface-analysis unveiled that persistence was the only prominent predictor for STEM achievement, however, its positive effect on science became negative when curiosity level was low, and vice versa. This synergistic interaction was more influential to mathematics and science in 6-9 grades than in 10-12 grades, highlighting the necessity to develop both attributes together, especially in younger adolescents.

Authors

• Haoyan Huang, University of Helsinki

• Xin Tang, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

• Ming-Te Wang, University of Chicago