Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 19, Issue 2, Article 1 (Dec., 2018) Lilia HALIM, Norshariani Abd RAHMAN, Noorzaila WAHAB, and Lilia Ellany MOHTAR Factors influencing interest in STEM careers: An exploratory factor analysis Contents Next

Factors influencing interest in STEM careers: An exploratory factor analysis

 

Lilia HALIM¹, Norshariani Abd RAHMAN^2*, Noorzaila WAHAB³, and Lilia Ellany MOHTAR¹

¹Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, MALAYSIA

²Institute of Islam Hadhari, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, MALAYSIA

³The Ministry of Education, MALAYSIA

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: norshariani@ukm.edu.my

Received 15 Jun., 2017
Revised 13 Jul., 2018

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Contents

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Literature Review
  • Environmental Factors Affecting Interest in STEM Careers
• Research Methodology
  • Research Context
  • Instrument Development
• Research Findings
  • Exploratory Factor Analysis for Environmental Factors
  • Exploratory Factor Analysis for STEM Self-Efficacy
  • Exploratory Factor Analysis for Perception of STEM Careers
  • Exploratory Factor Analysis for Interest in STEM Careers
  • Reliability Analysis
  • Interpretation of Total Score Mean
• Discussion and Implications
• Conclusions
• References
  • Acknowledgment
• Appendix
  • Section A: Personal Details
  • Section B: Learning Experience Activities
  • Section C: Social Influences on STEM Education and Careers
  • Section D: Media Influences on Interest in STEM Careers
  • Section E: STEM Learning Self-Efficacy 
  • Section F: Perception of STEM Careers
  • Section G: Interest in STEM Careers 

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Abstract

Identifying the factors that contribute to interest in STEM will provide guidance for successful interventions as well as contribute to our understanding of how students learn STEM content and how STEM career trajectories are developed. Thus, this study aimed to develop an instrument of STEM career interest. The process of the instrument development involved four stages, namely establishing content validity, conducting a pre-test, conducting exploratory factor analysis, and performing construct reliability. In this study, an 80-item questionnaire was administered to 354 middle secondary school students (14 years of age). Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the 80 items were grouped into four main factors, namely environmental factors, STEM self-efficacy, perception of STEM careers and interest in STEM careers. Four sub-constructs were grouped under environmental factors and these are activities in the classroom, activities outside the classroom, social influences and media influences. STEM self-efficacy consisted of abilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while perception of STEM careers consisted of two sub-constructs i.e., job prospects and skills needed in STEM careers. STEM career fields were divided into two sub-constructs i.e., life sciences and physical sciences. It is expected that this instrument would be helpful in research and evaluation that is aimed at measuring STEM career interest in students.

Keywords: Interest in STEM careers, instrument development, social cognitive career theory (SCCT), exploratory factor analysis