GSE/RES Measurement matters: Developing new scales to evaluate undergraduate students' images and attitudes in STEM fields

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

North Carolina State University will develop a psychometrically reliable and valid standard scale for measurement of students' stereotypes about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions and professionals in relation to attitudes about the participation of women and people of color in STEM fields. The project goals are to (1) to provide researchers with a standard survey scale (STEM Scale) that captures undergraduate students' contemporary images of science/engineering and scientists/engineers in the context of attitudes about gender and ethnic/racial diversity, (2) to provide researchers with standard survey scales and subscales that are specific to fields/disciplines, if/where significant field differences exist, and (3) to advance a common and empirically informed national discussion about students' preconceptions and attitudes about STEM professions and professionals. Intellectual Merit. Though there are existing scales that measure images of scientists, or attitudes about women, or ethnic/racial identity, none of these have been developed to address the intersections of gender and ethnicity/race with images and attitudes about STEM fields Project activities are defined in pace and scope in a progression from local and exploratory tests, to a national validation study, then to public dissemination. In the first year, the team will collect 100+ items generated in local STEM focus groups and gleaned from existing scales, then pilot, tested and revise in large section local STEM courses to identify items that significantly contribute to key constructs. In the second year, the team will consolidate remaining items and distribute a refined survey instrument through a national network of cooperating faculty. The projected sample size is 10,000 student responses. Though a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, analyses of a national data set (collected via online distribution and response) will identify a core STEM Scale and discipline-specific sub-scales, if and where disciplinary distinctions exist. In the third year, project activities are directed at disseminating information about the STEM scale and its psychometric properties, providing a "field test" of the scale in a discipline-specific setting, and fostering incorporation of the scale into research about factors influencing persistence, performance, and career commitment. Broader Impacts. Because attitudes related to gender and ethnicity/race (about self or others) have been associated with a wide range of inequalities in educational and career outcomes, the STEM Scale has applications as a basic tool in many areas of social research. The study will promote theory and research about the role of stereotypes in academic performance and persistence, and in career development and commitment, exploring the contribution of STEM course content to stereotype maintenance or disruption, and evaluating change over time in cultural images of STEM professions and professionals.