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RESEARCH PAPER
Interested, Disinterested, or Neutral: Exploring STEM Interest Profiles and Pathways in A Low-Income Urban Community
1
Oregon State University, USA
2
University of Colorado Boulder, USA
3
Oregon Department of Education, USA
Publication date: 2020-04-08
EURASIA J. Math., Sci Tech. Ed 2020;16(6):em1853
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
To better understand STEM interest development during adolescence in an urban community, we
examined how “STEM Interested” youth differed from disinterested youth and how interest
changed over time from age 11/12 to 12/13. We surveyed youth to measure interest in four
components of STEM, used cluster analysis to categorize youth based on STEM interest, and
examined how interest profiles and pathways differed for several explanatory factors (e.g.,
parental support, gender). Three STEM interest profiles emerged from the analysis: Stem
Interested, Math Disinterested, and STEM Disinterested. Only STEM Disinterested youth lost
interest in science, technology/engineering, and mathematics while the remaining 76% of youth
remained at least somewhat interested in science and technology/engineering. Girls were just as
likely as boys to identify as STEM Interested. Participation in out-of-school STEM activities and
positive parental attitudes toward science were significant predictors of persistent STEM interest.
Decreases in STEM interest were associated with declines in science self-concept and perceived
parental attitudes toward science. Results suggested that declining STEM interest may not be the
norm for urban youth. The findings also revealed factors that may influence declining STEM
interest and reinforced the importance of out-of-school factors in developing and sustaining
STEM interest during adolescence.
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