Ethnic Group Differences in Middle School STEM Dispositions

Data from 1,312 middle school students from nine states in the U.S. were gathered in spring 2015 during an NSF grant initiative featuring middle school environmental science curricular activities. Surveys related to STEM dispositions, career interest, climate change, creative tendencies and attitude...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAERA Online Paper Repository
Main Authors Christensen, Rhonda R, Knezek, Gerald A, Tyler-Wood, Tandra Lea
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published AERA Online Paper Repository 12.04.2016
Subjects
Ethnic Groups
Ethnicity
Gender Differences
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Middle School Students
Minority Group Students
Racial Differences
Science Careers
Scientific Attitudes
STEM Education
Student Attitudes
Student Interests
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Summary:Data from 1,312 middle school students from nine states in the U.S. were gathered in spring 2015 during an NSF grant initiative featuring middle school environmental science curricular activities. Surveys related to STEM dispositions, career interest, climate change, creative tendencies and attitudes toward school were completed by participants, Significant (p < 0. 05) differences by ethnic group were found on eight of the 13 measures. Large differences were found based on gender and grade level as well. A tendency for students of specific ethnic backgrounds to align their attitudes more with a STEM career, as the students advance across grades 5-8, was found. Implications of these findings for teaching and learning in a STEM-enhanced environment are discussed.