Primary pathways: elementary pupils' aspiration to be engineers and STEM subject interest

Across Europe, there is concern about the number and diversity of pupils taking study routes leading to Engineering. There is growing evidence that these career choices begin to form at elementary school age (Moote et al., 2020). Science, maths and design and technology are seen as subject choices n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of science education. Part B. Communication and public engagement Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 221 - 234
Main Authors Edmonds, Juliet, Lewis, Fay, Fogg-Rogers, Laura
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 03.07.2022
Subjects
attitudes
career aspirations
elementary
Elementary School Students
Engineering
Foreign Countries
Gender Differences
Informal Education
Occupational Aspiration
Recreational Activities
STEM
STEM Education
Student Attitudes
Student Interests
United Kingdom (Bristol)
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Summary:Across Europe, there is concern about the number and diversity of pupils taking study routes leading to Engineering. There is growing evidence that these career choices begin to form at elementary school age (Moote et al., 2020). Science, maths and design and technology are seen as subject choices necessary for pupils' progression into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related occupations. Achievement in these subjects, identity, gender attitudes to the subjects, parents and informal activities may have an impact on these career choices. This mixed methods research draws on participants in the Children as Engineers project to investigate aspirations to a career in engineering and the links between these aspirations and attitudes to STEM subjects. It explores findings that suggest that there is little relationship between aspirations and positive attitudes to individual curriculum subjects. Pupils' out-of-school activities and the links to aspirations in engineering are also researched and discussed. The article discusses the pupils' rationales for these choices and the implications for intervention and informal engineering experiences that rely on a science and maths context for elementary school activities and for fostering interest in engineering.
ISSN:2154-8455
2154-8463
DOI:10.1080/21548455.2022.2067906