Influenza-Like Illnesses and Communities: Utilizing Partnerships to Increase High School Students' Interest in STEM Careers

• In Event: Supporting Learning of Science and Technology Through Novel Applications of Technology

Abstract

Expectancy-value models of motivation have recently been utilized to understand students’ choices related to STEM learning and careers (Eccles, 1994; Eccles & Wigfield, 2002). Two important components of these models inform this project: a) student interest and b) self-efficacy toward STEM. Academic interests direct efforts toward learning in a domain (Ackerman, 1996) and are correlated with a multitude of academic and occupational outcomes including course selection, achievement, and persistence in a given field of study or career. Additionally, recent research shows that student interest in STEM careers is indeed declining (Lowell, Salzman, Bernstein, & Henderson, 2009). The second component related to student motivation is self-efficacy, or a student’s judgment about their ability to organize and execute the courses of action necessary to attain a specific goal (Bandura, 1997). Like interest, self-efficacy is an important indicator of educational choice and achievement (Guay, LaRose, & Boivin, 2004). Moreover, academic self-efficacy predicts academic achievement and performance beyond prior achievement and interest (e.g., Bandura, 1997).

Our NSF ITEST project emanates from education efforts designed to develop the next generation of STEM innovators who can productively participate in our increasingly global society. Specifically, this project aims to directly address the STEM workforce problem at a regional level and specifically target students from underrepresented communities, particularly Native Americans. In this study, community, industry, and education partners collaborate to develop a career and technology education bioscience course with the goal of having students develop solutions to an authentic community problem, the tracking of influenza like illnesses (ILIs).

In this first year of course implementation, we utilized a quasi-experimental design comparing control and experimental groups. We used qualitative and quantitative measures to examine the extent to which the community designed bioscience course had an effect on students’ interest in, self-efficacy, and motivation towards STEM learning and careers. The data sources included student interviews and three instruments, the STEM Semantics Survey, Career Interest Questionnaire (Tyler-Wood, Knezek, & Christensen, 2010), and the Science Attitude and Motivation Survey (Ngari, et al., 2008).

Qualitatively, interview data supports students positive feelings and enjoyment toward the bioscience course. More specifically, results indicate students in the bioscience course enjoyed the course, the many challenges it offered, and the opportunity to interact with researchers and community members. Quantitatively, bioscience students’ post-test scores on the Career Interest Questionnaire(3.54 to 3.65) and Science Attitude and Motivation Survey (3.07 to 3.24) increased compared to the control group. Furthermore, the bioscience experimental group students scored lower overall on all pre-test measures compared to the control group. We will provide more specific project examples, data, analyses, lessons learned, implications, and interpretations will be provided during the presentation and subsequent paper.

Authors

• Danielle Kristina Ross, Northern Arizona University

• Ron Gray, Northern Arizona University