Factors that Predict Adolescents’ Engagement with STEM In and Out of School

• In Event: STEM Inequity: Promoting STEM Engagement and Challenging STEM Stereotypes among Marginalized Youth

Abstract

Research documents that interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) often wanes throughout adolescence (Aschbacher et al., 2013; Lei et al., 2019). Factors such as inclusion, belonging, and perceptions of discrimination predict both formal classroom engagement as well as engagement in STEM outside of school (STEM activism orientation; Mulvey et al., 2022). The current study aims to extend this prior work by documenting other school and individual factors that matter for both STEM class engagement as well as engagement with STEM outside of school through STEM activism.

Method. Participants included 9th and 10th grade students (N = 898) from public schools in the Southeastern US, evenly divided by gender with 43.1% White, 27.3% Black, 13.7% Latino/a/x and 15.9% other. Participants completed a survey in school that assessed their STEM class engagement and STEM activism orientation (Mulvey et al., 2022), as well as critical consciousness (Diemer et al., 2017), STEM class belonging (Mulvey et al., 2022), perceptions of educational and career barriers (Luzzo & McWhirter, 2001), STEM motivation (Eccles & Wang, 2016), and STEM growth mindset (Law et al., 2021).

Results. Regression analyses examining predictors of engagement in and out of school were conducted using MPlus8, with gender, grade, and ethnic majority status as controls, and demonstrated good model fit: χ2 (18) = 63.65, p < .001; CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.92; RMSEA = 0.05, [CI = 0.04, 0.07]; SRMR = 0.04. Findings revealed that girls and participants who perceive educational barriers to STEM were less engaged in STEM classes, whereas those who were more critically motivated and reported higher levels of belonging, STEM growth mindset and STEM motivation were more engaged in STEM classes. Further, those who reported higher critical motivation, critical action, belonging and STEM motivation were more likely to be engaged in STEM activism outside of school, see Figure 1.

Discussion. Findings reveal that, STEM engagement in and out of school are related. STEM class belonging and motivation relate to both types of engagement; however, there are many differences between STEM engagement in school and out of school. Importantly, key dimensions of critical consciousness were more important for STEM activism orientation, whereas growth mindset and perceptions of educational barriers were more important for in-class engagement. Thus, STEM teachers and out of school program developers can learn new ways to engage students from each other.

Authors

• Kelly Lynn S Mulvey, North Carolina State University
  Presenting Author

• Jacqueline Cerda-Smith, North Carolina State University

• Angelina Joy, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Channing Mathews, University of Virginia