Wednesday, March 20
3:20-3:40 PM
PDT
Melrose 1

STEM College-Bound: Relationship of Familial Factors

Brief Paper ID: 54310
  1. aaa
    Michelle Peters
    University of Houston - Clear Lake
  2. Ahmed Abukmail
    University of Houston - Clear Lake
  3. aaa
    Jana Willis
    University of Houston - Clear Lake

Abstract: Schools continue to explore opportunities to increase underserved populations in computer science and broader STEM fields. Studies exploring factors that impact student decisions are needed. This study examined the relationship between minority students’ familial mitigating stereotypical factors and STEM careers pursuit. A purposeful sample of 419 high school freshman from a large urban southeastern Texas school district with a high minority population were surveyed to assess parental influence, school subject preference, and future education and career goals. Findings indicate a significant number of students claim they have plans to attend college. However, there was a statistically significant relationship between student’s gender and their decision. Furthermore, the majority of the students plan to pursue white-collar jobs following high school while the majority of their fathers hold blue collar jobs and mothers were split between blue collar jobs and being a stay at home parent. Additionally, findings suggest a significant relationship between the mother’ employment and the students intended employment. This was not true in the case of the father’s employment. A statistically significant relationship was not found to exist between whether the parent worked in a STEM career field and what the student intended for employment following high school. Study findings could inform educators of pathways that could increase student interest in STEM careers and college.

Presider: Carol Munn, New Jersey City University

Topic

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