Citation
Heaverlo, C. (2011). STEM development: A study of 6th-12th grade girls’ interest and confidence in mathematics and science (Doctoral dissertation, Iowa State University). Retrieved from http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1035&context=etd
Highlights
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- The study’s objective was to determine whether middle and high school girls’ levels of interest and confidence in science and mathematics differed and to identify factors that promote their interest and confidence in these subjects.
- The author administered a survey to the 6th–12th grade attendees of the three April 2009 sessions of Iowa State University’s Taking the Road Less Traveled Career Conference. The author performed descriptive statistical analyses.
- The study found that middle and high school girls’ interest and confidence in science and mathematics did not differ.
- Teacher influence was a statistically significant predictor of all four outcomes examined—math interest, science interest, math confidence, and science confidence. In particular, math teacher influence predicted math interest and confidence, and science teacher influence predicted science interest and confidence. The availability of extracurricular science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities also predicted math interest and confidence.
Reviewed by CLEAR
May 2016