The Influence of Early STEM Career Exploration as Related to Motivation and Self-determination Theory

Araceli Martinez Ortiz; Hiroko Kawaguchi Warshauer; Sara Garcia Torres; Laura Rodríguez Amaya

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Conference: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
Start Date: June 23, 2018
End Date: July 27, 2018
Conference Session: Engineering Career Attitudes
Tagged Division: Pre-College Engineering Education
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 19
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--31114
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/31114
Download Count: 589

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Paper Authors

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Araceli Martinez Ortiz Texas State University

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Araceli Martinez Ortiz, PhD., is Research Associate Professor of Engineering Education in the College of Education at Texas State University. She leads a comprehensive research agenda related to issues of curriculum and instruction in engineering education, motivation and preparation of under served populations of students and teachers and in assessing the impact of operationalizing culturally responsive teaching in the STEM classroom. As executive director of the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research, she collaborates on various state and national STEM education programs and is PI on major grant initiatives through NASA MUREP and NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education and NSF DUE . Araceli holds Engineering degrees from The University of Michigan and Kettering University. She holds a Masters degree in Education from Michigan State and a PhD in Engineering Education from Tufts University.

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Hiroko Kawaguchi Warshauer Texas State University

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Dr. Hiroko Kawaguchi Warshauer is a faculty member in the mathematics department at Texas State University. She received her Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Texas at Austin in 2011. Her research interests include areas of teaching and learning that foster productive struggle and investigation of professional teacher noticing of student thinking at pre-service and in-service levels. She is co-author of the Math Exploration curriculum, a Texas Mathworks middle school textbook series state adopted in Texas and the Mathworks Junior Summer Math Camp curriculum. She provides professional development to support curriculum implementation. She is the Mathworks research coordinator, overseeing Mathworks related research about summer math camps, teacher training, curriculum, and classroom interactions with faculty and doctoral students in mathematics and mathematics education.

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Sara Garcia Torres M.Ed. Texas State University

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Mrs. Sara Garcia-Torres, PhD student at Texas State University, currently serves as a NASA Education Specialist assigned to the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research at Texas State where she delivers teacher professional development and assists with research efforts. She worked for public schools for the past 16 years as a bilingual and inclusion teacher, Gifted & Talented Facilitator, and as a STEM teacher. She works with educators, families, and community members to support STEM efforts in public schools, homes, and communities. Her research interests include STEM education, both the delivery to underrepresented students and the preparation of public school teachers.
Currently is in a PhD program at Texas State University and holds degrees from Texas State University (M.Ed.), and University of Texas at San Antonio (BA).

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Laura Rodríguez Amaya orcid.org/0000-0002-7784-5365

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Dr. Laura Rodríguez Amaya serves as research faculty at the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research. In addition she is the Co-I and Assistant Site Director of the NASA Future Aerospace-engineers and Mathematicians Academy project. Her research interests include applications of geospatial technologies in issues of social justice, women in science with a focus on access and equity, and Latin America. She earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Geography in 2014 from Texas State University

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Abstract

A science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) summer intervention program is the setting for a career-exploration research study with over 30 adolescent students in a low-income community. Using motivation and self-determination theory as a framework, the impact of early exposure to engineering and mathematics career opportunities is examined. This study utilized mixed methods to analyze how changes in middle school students’ affective characteristics may be linked to their future career decision-making after participating in an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics academic/ career summer camp. We examine three students’ decisions regarding their changes in self-reported future academic major choices and career goals utilizing measures of motivation, self-efficacy, and self-determination.

Interview data provides qualitative evidence that participants’ experiences during camp may indeed impact their short-term outlook towards their informed decision making and motivation related to pursuing STEM careers. Repeat participants (two or more years) are highlighted as case studies and their survey and interview input is analyzed to determine to what extent, if any, students attribute changes in motivation to their summer camp experiences. Given that the student participants represent a majority demographic of low income and historically underrepresented populations in STEM, particular patterns related to the participants’ ethnicity and/or gender are presented.

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Ortiz, A. M., & Warshauer, H. K., & Torres, S. G., & Rodríguez Amaya, L. (2018, June), The Influence of Early STEM Career Exploration as Related to Motivation and Self-determination Theory Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--31114