Development and Evaluation of STEM Interest and Self-Efficacy Tests

Diana I. Milner; John J. Horan; Terence Tracey

doi:10.1177/1069072713515427

Development and Evaluation of STEM Interest and Self-Efficacy Tests

Diana I. Milner, John J. Horan, Terence Tracey

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

The recruitment and retention of students interested in STEM pursuits (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a national priority obstructed by a lack of relevant measures. We developed a set of assessment devices applicable to program evaluation as well as the identification of STEM interested students and their self-efficacy levels. In this article, we report the psychometric properties of two interest and two self-efficacy measures of STEM-related activities and occupations. Exploratory factor analyses conducted on each measure with a randomly selected half of the sample (n = 213) resulted in one general STEM factor. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on shortened versions of the tests for the remaining half of the sample (n = 190). Goodness-of-fit indices all supported the one-factor model. Applications of the instruments to STEM assessment and education are discussed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	642-653
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Career Assessment
Volume	22
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072713515427
State	Published - Nov 12 2014

Keywords

STEM
interest assessment
self-efficacy assessment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Applied Psychology
Psychology(all)
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Access to Document

10.1177/1069072713515427

Cite this

@article{b692464bb8794de19c67d10c98c97ccf,

title = "Development and Evaluation of STEM Interest and Self-Efficacy Tests",

abstract = "The recruitment and retention of students interested in STEM pursuits (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a national priority obstructed by a lack of relevant measures. We developed a set of assessment devices applicable to program evaluation as well as the identification of STEM interested students and their self-efficacy levels. In this article, we report the psychometric properties of two interest and two self-efficacy measures of STEM-related activities and occupations. Exploratory factor analyses conducted on each measure with a randomly selected half of the sample (n = 213) resulted in one general STEM factor. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on shortened versions of the tests for the remaining half of the sample (n = 190). Goodness-of-fit indices all supported the one-factor model. Applications of the instruments to STEM assessment and education are discussed.",

keywords = "STEM, interest assessment, self-efficacy assessment",

author = "Milner, {Diana I.} and Horan, {John J.} and Terence Tracey",

note = "Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The development of these tests was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 0631754). Additional support was obtained by a grant from the National Career Development Association. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2013.",

year = "2014",

month = nov,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1177/1069072713515427",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "22",

pages = "642--653",

journal = "Journal of Career Assessment",

issn = "1069-0727",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Development and Evaluation of STEM Interest and Self-Efficacy Tests

AU - Milner, Diana I.

AU - Horan, John J.

AU - Tracey, Terence

N1 - Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The development of these tests was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 0631754). Additional support was obtained by a grant from the National Career Development Association. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2013.

PY - 2014/11/12

Y1 - 2014/11/12

N2 - The recruitment and retention of students interested in STEM pursuits (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a national priority obstructed by a lack of relevant measures. We developed a set of assessment devices applicable to program evaluation as well as the identification of STEM interested students and their self-efficacy levels. In this article, we report the psychometric properties of two interest and two self-efficacy measures of STEM-related activities and occupations. Exploratory factor analyses conducted on each measure with a randomly selected half of the sample (n = 213) resulted in one general STEM factor. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on shortened versions of the tests for the remaining half of the sample (n = 190). Goodness-of-fit indices all supported the one-factor model. Applications of the instruments to STEM assessment and education are discussed.

AB - The recruitment and retention of students interested in STEM pursuits (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is a national priority obstructed by a lack of relevant measures. We developed a set of assessment devices applicable to program evaluation as well as the identification of STEM interested students and their self-efficacy levels. In this article, we report the psychometric properties of two interest and two self-efficacy measures of STEM-related activities and occupations. Exploratory factor analyses conducted on each measure with a randomly selected half of the sample (n = 213) resulted in one general STEM factor. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on shortened versions of the tests for the remaining half of the sample (n = 190). Goodness-of-fit indices all supported the one-factor model. Applications of the instruments to STEM assessment and education are discussed.

KW - STEM

KW - interest assessment

KW - self-efficacy assessment

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908690430&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84908690430&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/1069072713515427

DO - 10.1177/1069072713515427

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84908690430

SN - 1069-0727

VL - 22

SP - 642

EP - 653

JO - Journal of Career Assessment

JF - Journal of Career Assessment

IS - 4

ER -

Development and Evaluation of STEM Interest and Self-Efficacy Tests

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this