The Role of STEM Self-Efficacy, Research Confidence, and Belonging in Student Development: Fostering STEM Workforce Development Through an Institutional STEM Conference
Date
2024-03
Authors
Chang, Carolyn
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Abstract
The United States science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce stimulates innovation and provides significant contributions to the nation. As science and technology advance, increasing demand for technically skilled employees follows. Today, almost a quarter (24%) of the U.S. workforce is employed in STEM occupations (NCSES, 2023).
Representation of different groups based on sex, race or ethnicity, and disability status varies throughout the STEM workforce, with representation in STEM occupations unevenly distributed for these groups compared to all the working age population (NCSES, 2023). As the workforce demand in STEM continues to increase, along with a push for better representation among different groups, interventions to support STEM student career development are needed.
Although research has demonstrated the impact of research experiences on degree and career plans, the benefits of attending and presenting research at professional conferences has been minimally investigated (Casad, et al., 2016). These few studies highlight the effectiveness of student professional conferences as an intervention that increases representation and success of underrepresented minority (URM) students in science. As travel to national conference is cost-prohibitive for many students, we sought out to investigate the impact that a student-focused institutional STEM conference intervention would have on student science self-efficacy, research confidence, sense of belonging in STEM. We also evaluated additional outcome measures related to education and career.
Description
Keywords
STEM, self efficacy, student development, STEM workforce, STEM conference
Citation
Chang, C. T. (2024). The role of STEM self-efficacy, research confidence, and belonging in student development: Fostering STEM workforce development through an institutional STEM conference. Poster presented at the Health Scholar Showcase, Translational Health Research Center, San Marcos, Texas.