AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES' ATTITUDES TOWARD THE SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL DECISION MAKING TOWARD STEM

Abstract

The underrepresentation of African American males in STEM fields has serious implications for the economic vitality of the United States, especially since the predominant demographic among STEM workers (White, non-Hispanic men) is shrinking as a proportion of the overall U.S. population. Although this complex topic has been highly researched, there have been few significant improvements in engaging African American males in the STEM pipeline. Using the state of Arizona as a microcosm of national trends and social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as a frame for analysis, this study explored the following two research questions: (a) Do attitudes toward STEM fields among African American males in the state of Arizona influence their decisions to pursue college degrees and careers in these fields after controlling for other personal characteristics?; and (b) What are the significant factors that lead students to pursue STEM majors and careers in the state of Arizona? The findings point to SCCT as a useful heuristic for understanding the complexity of STEM major and career decision making for African American men. Evidence suggests that each of the components of SCCT-personal attributes, external environmental factors, and overt behavior-are all at play in African American male Arizonans' decisions to pursue STEM majors in college and/or STEM careers. These findings may contribute to the development of new and improved interventions and best practices aimed at increasing the number of African American men in STEM majors and careers.