Student perceptions of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) content and careers Rhonda Christensen a,⇑ , Gerald Knezek b , Tandra Tyler-Wood b a Institute for the Integration of Technology into Teaching and Learning, University of North Texas, 3940 Elm St. #G-150, Denton, TX 76207, United States b University of North Texas, 3940 Elm St. #G-150, Denton, TX 76207, United States article info Article history: Available online 25 February 2014 Keywords: STEM dispositions Secondary education Student attitudes Gender studies abstract Attitudinal data were gathered from 364 high school students participating in a residential science and mathematics program on a university campus in which participating students finish their last 2 years of high school in conjunction with their first 2 years in college. Instruments employed assessed disposi- tions toward Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) content and careers. Disposi- tions were analyzed in comparison to data gathered on the same instruments from other groups of students and teachers. Findings included that the residential early admissions students had STEM dispo- sitions more similar to STEM professionals and less similar to traditional high school students. Analyses of disaggregated data characteristics based on attributes such as gender are also presented. Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction This paper explores how students attending a mathematics and science academy came to have an interest in STEM careers. Student dispositions are first compared to their generational peers as well as STEM education professionals to affirm that academy students have STEM dispositions indicative of adults currently occupying STEM-related careers. Next these indicators are examined in more detail from the perspective of disaggregated subgroups. Finally re- ported reasons for interest in a STEM career path are presented and discussed to develop insight into ways to encourage more students to pursue STEM careers. 1.1. Review of the literature 1.1.1. Need for STEM workforce Like many nations in the world, the United States is increasingly reliant on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce to maintain leadership in the world economy (Banning & Folkestad, 2012). ‘‘As the world becomes increasingly technological, the value of these national assets will be determined in no small measure by the effectiveness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education (p. v)’’ (Holdren, Lander, & Varmus, 2010). During the 20th century, the United States experienced an increased number of students receiving high school and college degrees helping expand economic development including a technical workforce at a time of scientific and techno- logical diffusion (Holdren et al., 2010). Despite such advancement during the 20th century, educational researchers and policy makers began to predict the steady decline in mastery of basic skills and knowledge among U.S. students with the publication of A Nation at Risk (Gardner, 1983). Gardner (1983) asserted, ‘‘our (U.S.) once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by com- petitors throughout the world’’ (p. 9). More recently, international studies such as the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) have ranked the U.S. 21st in science and 26th in mathematics for high school students (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Organisation for Economic Co-operation, 2013). These lower performing academic areas impact the number of students completing higher education degrees in STEM areas. Less than half (40%) of students entering college intending to earn a STEM degree complete it – accounting for only 300,000 STEM graduates per year when the projection of those needed for the U.S. workforce is closer to one million (Holdren & Lander, 2012). 1.1.2. Issues in workforce development In the U.S., many jobs in STEM fields go unfilled for lack of qual- ity workers (Atkinson, 2013). Improving the STEM workforce is a top priority for policy makers, practitioners and researchers with the need to: (a) recruit and retain more students to work in http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.01.046 0747-5632/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 9405654567. E-mail addresses: Rhonda.christensen@unt.edu (R. Christensen), gknezek@ gmail.com (G. Knezek), Tandra.tyler-wood@unt.edu (T. Tyler-Wood). Computers in Human Behavior 34 (2014) 173–186 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers in Human Behavior journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/comphumbeh