Poster #133 - Unequal Returns to STEM Motivation Across Gender and Race

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

Despite decades of policy initiatives aimed at fortifying the STEM pipeline, enduring racial and gender disparities continue to be evident in STEM participation and outcomes. A considerable portion of the existing literature and policy discussions underscore the importance of enhancing student motivation as a pivotal factor for increasing engagement and success in STEM fields. Nevertheless, there is limited understanding of whether motivation leads to comparable academic and postsecondary results across diverse student populations. This study seeks to address this gap by investigating the relationship between STEM motivation and academic performance, as well as major selection, and by assessing whether these relationships differ systematically by race and gender.Utilizing nationally representative data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), this research examines approximately 6,500 students to explore the relationship between high school STEM motivation and subsequent educational outcomes. STEM motivation is quantified through an index derived from constructs based on expectancy-value theory, including identity, self-efficacy, utility, and interest in mathematics and science. The analysis utilizes weighted multivariate regression models to estimate associations between motivation and outcomes such as high school STEM GPA, consideration of a STEM major, actual selection of a STEM major, and postsecondary STEM GPA. Interaction terms are incorporated to evaluate heterogeneity in these relationships across racial and gender groups.The findings indicate that, although motivation in STEM disciplines is positively correlated with academic achievement and the propensity to pursue a STEM major, these associations are not consistent across different demographic groups. Female students, despite achieving higher STEM GPAs on average, are less inclined to choose STEM majors compared to their similarly motivated male counterparts. Black and Hispanic students display lower STEM GPAs than their White peers, even when accounting for motivation and background factors, implying that motivation alone does not surmount structural inequalities. Conversely, Asian students are more likely to select STEM majors but exhibit weaker correlations between motivation and academic success.These results indicate that policies solely aimed at enhancing student motivation may not be adequate for bridging equity disparities in STEM disciplines. Instead, the findings underscore the significance of addressing structural and contextual obstacles that influence the translation of motivation into academic and career achievements. Policy interventions should extend beyond individual motivational strategies to encompass institutional and systemic supports that foster equitable access, a sense of belonging, and opportunities within STEM pathways. This study contributes to policy discussions by reinterpreting motivation not as a universal remedy, but as a factor whose effectiveness is contingent upon broader social and structural conditions.

Author

• Jerry M Whitmore, Boston University
  Presenting Author