Ninth-Grade Students' Perceptions of the Factors That Led Them to Major in High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Disciplines

Autor/inn/en	Caspi, Avner; Gorsky, Paul; Nitzani-Hendel, Rakefet; Zacharia, Zacharias; Rosenfeld, Sherman; Berman, Shmuel; Shildhouse, Bruria
Titel	Ninth-Grade Students' Perceptions of the Factors That Led Them to Major in High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Disciplines
Quelle	In: Science Education, 103 (2019) 5, S.1176-1205 (30 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Gorsky, Paul)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0036-8326
DOI	10.1002/sce.21524
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Middle School Students; High School Students; Grade 9; Majors (Students); STEM Education; Science Interests; Student Motivation; Expectation; Predictor Variables; Decision Making; Advanced Courses; Ability Grouping; Israel + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Middle school; Middle schools; Student; Students; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Schüler; Schülerin; High school; High schools; Oberschule; Studentin; School year 09; 9. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 09; STEM; Schulische Motivation; Expectancy; Erwartung; Prädiktor; Decision-making; Entscheidungsfindung; Fortgeschrittenenunterricht; Homogene Gruppierung; Niveaugruppierung; Streaming
Abstract	On completing middle-school (ninth grade), Israeli students must choose which discipline(s) to major in upon entering high school. This study, grounded in Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT), identified and modeled the factors that contributed to students' academic choices from their own subjective perspectives. We collected qualitative and quantitative data from ninth graders in two urban middle-schools (n=295) at the school year's end. We found that (a) most students cited interest and utility value as their main motivations for choosing a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major, expectancies were mentioned less; (b) students who chose a STEM major had statistically significant higher scores for EVT's key predictor variables (personal attributes, "subjective task value," "expectation of success," perceived effects of environmental factors) than their counterparts who majored in non-STEM disciplines; (c) the positive perceptions of their peers' interest and ability in science contributed significantly to students' choice to major in STEM disciplines; and (d) no significant gender differences re academic choice were found. One highly unexpected finding emerged: Participation in advanced science programs for highly qualified students ("ability grouping with curriculum differentiation") was by far the most significant factor in the choice to major in STEM disciplines. This finding has major implications for science education policy and practice. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01