Developing STEM Career Identities among Latinx Youths: Collaborative Design, Evaluations, and Adaptations during COVID-19-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Developing STEM Career Identities among Latinx Youths: Collaborative Design, Evaluations, and Adaptations during COVID-19

Published:2023-11-18 Issue:11 Volume:13 Page:949
ISSN:2076-328X
Container-title:Behavioral Sciences
language:en
Short-container-title:Behavioral Sciences

Author:

Park Chong Myung¹^ORCID,Donnelly Hayoung Kim²^ORCID,Rodriguez Angelica³,Esquivel Luis¹,Nardi Cecilia⁴,Trunfio Paul⁵,Oliver-Davila Alexandra³,Howard Kimberly A. S.¹^ORCID,Solberg V. Scott H.¹

Affiliation:

1. Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA

2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

3. Sociedad Latina, Boston, MA 02120, USA

4. Office of Government & Community Affairs, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA

5. Department of Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Abstract

In response to the low representation of Latinx adults in STEM occupations, this community-based participatory action research study aims to increase the number of middle school youths developing STEM career identities and entering high school with the intention to pursue STEM careers. The students were provided with summer and after-school activities focusing on network science and career development curricula. Using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design and career narratives, this study examined the changes in STEM and career self-efficacy, as well as career identity. The results show improvements in self-efficacy, an increased number of youths with intentions of pursuing future STEM career opportunities, and deeper reflections on their talents and skills after program participation. This paper also describes the program development and implementation in detail, as well as the adaptations that resulted from COVID-19, for scholars and educators designing similar programs. This study provides promising evidence for the quality of STEM and career development lessons in supporting the emergence of a STEM career identity and self-efficacy.

Funder

National Science Foundation

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Behavioral Neuroscience,General Psychology,Genetics,Development,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Link

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/11/949/pdf

Reference56 articles.

1. Schwab, K. (2017). The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Penguin Random House.

2. Pew Research Center (2018). Women and Men in STEM Often at Odds Over Workplace Equity, Pew Research Center.

3. United States Census Bureau (2023, November 01). American Community Survey (ACS): Data Profile; Washington, DC, USA, 2017, Available online: https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/data-profiles/2017/.

4. Hussar, B., Zhang, J., Hein, S., Wang, K., Roberts, A., Cui, J., Smith, M., Bullock Mann, F., Barmer, A., and Dilig, R. (2023, November 02). The Condition of Education 2020 (NCES 2020-144). U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics, Available online: https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2020144.

5. de Brey, C., Musu, L., McFarland, J., Wilkinson-Flicker, S., Diliberti, M., Zhang, A., Branstetter, C., and Wang, X. (2023, November 02). Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups 2018 (NCES 2019-038). U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics, 2019, Available online: https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/.