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This article explores why some Flemish secondary school students' study choices are content-wise not in line with their career aspirations and, to some extent, follow gender and ethnic patterns. We use 83 semi-structured interviews, conducted with students in academic and technical tracks in three Flemish secondary schools. Compared to female pupils, male pupils are more likely to enrol in lower status tracks whose curricular substance prepares them for a STEM career (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). Ethnic majority female pupils seem to adjust their study choices better to their aspirations, or the other way round. However, especially when changing track or field of study, ethnic majority female pupils are more likely to adapt their aspirations consistent with gender norms. While ethnic minority female pupils are more likely than ethnic majority female pupils to have STEM aspirations, their goals do not always seem to correspond with the study choices they have made. Additionally, perceived discrimination and family aspirations further impact both study choices and aspirations of ethnic minority pupils. Gendered study recommendations and choices, favouring male pupils in STEM careers, especially make that female pupils make study choices that are in terms of curriculum not always in line with their aspirations.

AbstractWe report results from two studies testing the Mediation Model of Research Experiences, which posits that science (or engineering) self‐efficacy and identity as a scientist (or engineer) mediate the association between support programs and students' commitment to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Study 1 included 502 matriculated and recently graduated undergraduate STEM students. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that research experience, instrumental mentoring, and involvement in a community of scientists were associated with commitment to a STEM career, mediated through science/engineering self‐efficacy and identity as a scientist/engineer. There were few interactions with ethnicity and none with gender. In Study 2, 63 undergraduate students in science/engineering support programs were surveyed with a similar instrument at the beginning and end of their programs. Pre–post analyses indicated that increases over time in community involvement were associated with increases in science/engineering self‐efficacy, and increases over time in science/engineering identity were associated with increased commitment to a STEM career. Taken together, these two studies show the importance of psychological processes such as identity and self‐efficacy in understanding the specific ways in which science/engineering support programs lead to enhanced commitment to a career in STEM among White and underrepresented minority undergraduate students.

"STEM" is a polysemic word very present in innovative frames on Science Education. It shapes several political goals related to increasing scientific and technologic careers, inclusion and citizenship. In this article we identify several methodologic lines from Science didactics to develop STEM goals (I nquiry, Socio-Scientific Issues, Project-Based Learning, Pseudoscience,…). We describe examples of classroom activities and analyse its contributions and potential difficulties. As a conclusion, we discuss the matching of the STEM political goals with the social purpose of education as a way for competent citizenship. ; El término STEM es polisémico y tiene actualmente una gran presencia en ámbitos de innovación en enseñanza de las ciencias. Sintetiza un conjunto de objetivos políticos en relación al desarrollo de vocaciones científico-tecnológicas, inclusión y ciudadanía. En este artículo se identifican vías de acción metodológica para desplegar los objetivos STEM desde la didáctica de las ciencias (Indagación, Controversias, Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos, Pseudociencias,…). Se proponen ejemplos de actividades aplicadas en las aulas y se analizan las aportaciones de cada vía de acción y potenciales dificultades. Como conclusión, se discute el encaje entre los objetivos políticos STEM y la misión social de la educación como vía para una ciudadanía competente.

With the growing demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs in the U.S., the attainment of college degrees in these areas is of paramount importance. Both federal and state governments have established initiatives to grow the number of STEM degrees earned by women and racial minorities, as these groups graduate in STEM disciplines and work in STEM fields at a lower rate than that of their majority counterparts. The factors that can deter women and underrepresented minorities from pursuing STEM careers have been identified with one of the most prominent being low self-efficacy, or a reduced belief in one's capability of accomplishing a goal or task. This study aimed to assess the current level of self-efficacy of Chatham County, Georgia high school students in the STEM disciplines and their interest in pursuing a STEM career. No difference in the levels of self-efficacy in mathematics and science was reported by females and males; however, males reported significantly higher self-efficacy in engineering and technology compared to females. When asked about the future, females and males reported no difference in interest in a variety of STEM vocations; however, males had a significantly stronger preference for jobs in the areas of physics, computer science, medicine, energy, and engineering compared to females. Race did not influence self-efficacy in the three STEM areas, but interest in careers in the physical sciences was low among underrepresented minority students. Continued implementation of strategies to create and maintain female self-efficacy and interest in STEM, especially in engineering and technology, remains a necessity. While underrepresented minority students appeared to possess self-efficacy in the STEM disciplines during high school, strategies are needed to ensure their successful progression through STEM degree programs and later obtainment of a STEM job.

As technology continues to shape society, it's essential for tech leaders to recognize their role in strengthening democracy. This report highlights the urgent need to integrate civic knowledge and responsibility into STEM education and careers.

The gender gap is a problem that occurs in different forms in regions and countries around the world. It is a goal of large international organisations, governments, companies and other entities. Although it is not a new issue, it is important to continue studying it and seek mechanisms and strategies to attract and maintain more women in these areas. In particular, in the field of education and employment, the STEM areas present large gender gaps whose reduction would not only impact the equality of men and women but would also have an impact on the economy of the countries and on improving the economic situation of women. In this context, there are initiatives in Latin America working on this issue, but it is necessary to look more deeply into the elements that influence the decision to study careers in these areas. In this context, two focus groups have been held as roundtables with STEM women from different Latin American and European countries, to answer a series of questions centred on their motivations and decisions before and during their university studies. The results obtained have provided some inputs for defining gender equality action plans in ten Higher Education Institutions from Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico. Furthermore, the results show similarities with previous studies involving STEM women with different Latin American profiles. ; This work has been possible with the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union in its Key Action 2 "Capacity-building in Higher Education". Project W-STEM "Building the future of Latin America: engaging women into STEM" (Reference number 598923-EPP-1-2018-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP). The content of this publication does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in the publication lies entirely with the authors

Stem programs: encouraging an early start with engineering design
Nancy Butler Songer, Associate Provost of STEM Education at the University of Utah, highlights the importance of introducing STEM programs to younger students. Fifty years ago, I was one of three girls (of fifty 11 and 12-year-olds) in the after-school Science Club (Figure 1). Equipped with my bicycle and a large butterfly net, my task was to gather and identify fifty different species of insects before school began again in the fall. Little did I know that this activity was a formative experience leading to a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education. My experience as a twelve-year-old is consistent with a wealth of research indicating that pre-teen interest in STEM fields, including Engineering, is a strong predictor of future careers. Research studies indicate that to increase the number of students pursuing engineering and science as a career goal, we must increase activities with engineering as a fundamental component before students reach their teenage years (Sneider & Ravel, 2021).

Women and racial minorities are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. This review describes six "wise" psychological interventions that can improve gender and race equality in STEM education by addressing psychological processes that inhibit achievement. The interventions are brief, low cost, and effective because they target specific psychological processes that cause disinterest, disengagement, and poor performance in STEM education. Interventions promoting a growth mindset address needs for competence and confidence. Communal goal interventions portray STEM as fulfilling communal values. Utility-value interventions highlight the usefulness and value of STEM education in students' lives and careers. Values-affirmation interventions can buffer negative effects of social identity threat by reaffirming one's personal values. Belonging interventions can bolster sense of belonging and identity in STEM by fostering a personal connection with the STEM community. Role models can instill a sense of belonging and identity compatibility in underrepresented groups in STEM. Educators, researchers, and policy makers can promote STEM education and careers by advocating for wise psychological interventions.

The pressure upon a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematcs (STEM) educators has increased as the demand for workers with stem capabilities develops while worldwide the number of students electing to specialise in stem areas is declining. In 2018, the Indonesian Ministry of Industry (KPRI) released a document titled 'Making Indonesia 4.0', stating stem teachers will be expected to produce students who have several "careers" during their working lives and have the skills needed which includes technical capabilities, creativity and innovative problem-solving. This will occur in a context where the future of work remains human and so while the new technologies have the capacity to automate many tasks, they also create as many jobs as they replace. As well as these governmental expectations, stem educators are being continually confronted with an avalanche of advice on the best ways of teaching and learning their subject. This advice comes from across the spectrum of expertise that includes parents, outstanding teacher heroes, commercial interests, and dubious 'experts' who have no pedagogical knowledge or experience. This paper will attempt to cut through this avalanche and dig down to the bedrock of successful and sustainable stem teaching and learning. While this paper is written for all stem educators, it will tend to favour examples from the mathematics and brain research disciplines.

Higher education is coming under increasing scrutiny, both publically and within academia, with respect to its ability to appropriately prepare students for the careers that will make them competitive in the 21st-century workplace. At the same time, there is a growing awareness that many global issues will require creative and critical thinking deeply rooted in the technical STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines.

Transforming Institutions brings together chapters from the scholars and leaders who were part of the 2011 and 2014 conferences. It provides an overview of the context and challenges in STEM higher education, contributed chapters describing programs and research in this area, and a reflection and summary of the lessons from the many authors' viewpoints, leading to suggested next steps in the path toward transformation.

The literature on gender and science shows that scientific careers continue to be characterised – albeit with important differences among countries – by strong gender discriminations, especially in more prestigious positions. Much less investigated is the issue of which stage in the career such differences begin to show up. Gender and Precarious Research Careers aims to advance the debate on the process of precarisation in higher education and its gendered effects, and springs from a three-year research project across institutions in seven European countries: Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Iceland, Switzerland, Slovenia and Austria. Examining gender asymmetries in academic and research organisations, this insightful volume focuses particularly on early careers. It centres both on STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and SSH (Social Science and Humanities) fields. Offering recommendations to design innovative organisational policies and self-tailored 'Gender Equality Plans' to be implemented in universities and research centres, this volume will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as Gender Studies, Sociology of Work and Industry, Sociology of Knowledge, Business Studies and Higher Education.

Role of the MSEIP grant in the success of STEM undergraduate research at Queensborough Community College and beyond -- Enhancing student engagement with peer-led team learning and course-based undergraduate research experiences -- Aiming toward an effective Hispanic serving chemistry curriculum -- Computational chemistry and biology courses for undergraduates at an HBCU : cultivating a diverse computational science community -- NanoHU : a boundary-spanning education model for maximizing human and intellectual capital -- Design and implementation of a STEM student success program at Grambling State University -- The role of the ReBUILDetroit Scholars Program at Wayne State University in broadening participation in STEM -- "Using scholars programs to enhance success of underrepresented students in chemistry, biomedical sciences, and STEM" -- The MARC U*STAR Program at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) 1997-2018 -- Pathways to careers in science, engineering, and math -- Leadership dimensions for broadening participation in STEM : the role of HBCUs and MSIs -- Bloom where you are planted : a model for campus climate change to retain minoritzed faculty scholars in STEM fields -- Maximizing mentoring : enhancing the impact of mentoring programs and initiatives through the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Faculty Development at Xavier University of Louisiana -- Mentors, mentors everywhere : weaving informal and formal mentoring into a robust chemical sciences mentoring quilt -- Using technology to foster peer mentoring relationships : development of a virtual peer mentorship model for broadening participation in STEM.

QIST has advanced considerably in the past decade, moving beyond research labs into real-world industrial applications and products. As the industry grows, there is a pressing need to equip students with quantum-specific skills, quantum awareness, and broader STEM knowledge.

There is national attention and concern from industry leaders, educators and politicians that the United States will not be able to maintain its competitive edge due to the lack of students prepared for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) (Hurtado et al., 2008; Kuenzi et al., 2006; Kuenzi, 2008; Laursen et al., 2010). Student-faculty research, such as is done during an undergraduate research experience (URE), has been shown to be a high impact activity leading to greater student interest in STEM careers. A closer look is needed to get an idea of what types of experiences during UREs impact a students interest in persisting into a STEM field career and to understand what are the key mechanisms of the experience that make it meaningful. The findings in this study add to the literature by exploring participants views of the undergraduate research experience at non-doctoral-granting universities and by supporting the idea that UREs can be effective in these settings as well. Further, this study puts forward a theoretical explanation about how and why UREs promote a students interest in persisting to a STEM field career. The purpose of this qualitative study using critical incidents was to identify experiences during a URE that students perceived to encourage or deter their interest in pursuing a STEM field career following graduation and to identify causal mechanisms for why these experiences made a difference in their interest. This study was designed to use a qualitative approach consisting of individual interviews and a focus group with a total of 31 participants from three institutions to identify and come to a more complex, multi-layered understanding of the undergraduate research experience. A card sorting technique where participants assigned each card to the encouraged an interest, deterred an interest, neither encouraged nor deterred an interest, or did not experience category was used initially to generate a conversation about what individual experiences that students perceive encourage or deter them from pursuing a STEM field career following graduation. Follow-up interview questions guided the participant in explaining the incident and how and why it impacted their interest in a STEM field career following graduation. Findings of the study indicate that all participants began their URE with an interest in science. No one set of critical incidents was identified to encourage or deter an interest as the same incident could have positive and negative outcomes. Because of the initial strong interest in science, incidents identified in the literature as deterring an interest in STEM often served to help participants refine the field or topic in STEM they wanted to pursue rather than causing them to leave STEM altogether. The individual critical incidents during the URE in totality, not individually, had an impact on participants interest in pursuing a STEM field career. It is a combination of multiple experiences or events that help students gain a greater sense of self and to refine career and research opportunities. The main contribution of this study is a theoretical model of the mechanisms by which a variety of incidents during a URE can impact an interest in STEM. This model identifies underlying causal mechanisms on how UREs can promote an interest in STEM. The model is similar to a grounded theory model in that it highlights student characteristics, contextual factors, mechanisms, and outcomes that help to refine STEM field career interest. The URE incidents in totality provide mechanisms resulting in outcomes that refine a career interest in STEM. As all participants were still involved in their URE, this study is limited in that we do not know with any certainty if the participants will enter a STEM field career. Future research designed with a longitudinal time frame could follow participants throughout the URE then into their career thus allowing greater understanding as to why some students may choose to leave the STEM pipeline. In-depth case studies would allow for testing of the conceptual model to identify turning points in an interest in a STEM field career and how interests in a STEM field career are refined. Further, case studies would allow researchers to compare the conceptual model in different settings. The goals of UREs can be advanced in settings where there is a central organizing office on campus that makes visible that the institution values research and STEM and creates opportunities where students can to connect to a wider community of researchers. Faculty mentors guiding UREs can advance a commitment to pursue science by continually articulating the importance and wider social significance of the research. Further, faculty mentors play an invaluable role by providing information about the range of opportunities to pursue research, connect students with other research, and encourage URE student attendance at professional conferences in order to begin identification with a wider community of like-minded individuals. ; Ph. D. ; Educators, industry leaders and politicians are concerned about the lack of students prepared for STEM field careers and the United States being able to maintain its competitive edge globally. One opportunity to prepare students for STEM field careers is through student-faculty research, such as is done during an undergraduate research experience (URE). This study was designed to identify and understand critical incidents in undergraduate research experiences that students perceive to encourage or deter their interest in pursuing a STEM field career following graduation and to identify why these experiences made a difference in their interest. An incident sorting process was used to identify individual experiences that students perceive encourage or deter them from pursuing a STEM field career following graduation. Participant interviews and a focus group were conducted to understand how and why the identified experiences had a bearing on the student deciding to pursue a STEM field career following graduation. Findings of the study indicate that incidents during the URE combined, not individually, had an impact on participants interest in pursuing a STEM field career.