STEM ATTITUDE DISPARITY: THE IMPACT OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN VOCATIONALLY-ORIENTED POLYTECHNIC AND UNIVERSITY ON STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY, EXPECTANCY-VALUE, AND CAREER INTEREST
| Title | STEM ATTITUDE DISPARITY: THE IMPACT OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN VOCATIONALLY-ORIENTED POLYTECHNIC AND UNIVERSITY ON STUDENTS’ SELF-EFFICACY, EXPECTANCY-VALUE, AND CAREER INTEREST |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2024 |
| Authors | Xu, S-R, Zhou, S-N |
| Journal | Journal of Baltic Science Education |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Start Page | 979-989 |
| Pagination | Continuous |
| Date Published | October/2024 |
| Type of Article | Original article |
| ISSN | 1648-3898 |
| Other Numbers | E-ISSN 2538-7138 |
| Keywords | career interest, expectancy-value, learning experiences, self-efficacy, STEM attitude |
| Abstract | Learning experiences are widely recognized as crucial in developing students’ attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Vocationally-oriented polytechnics and universities provide distinct learning experiences that may significantly influence students’ STEM self-efficacy, expectancy-value and career interest. The study explores how the unique learning experiences shape students' STEM attitudes among 487 students during their fourth semester at vocationally-oriented polytechnic and university. The S-STEM survey was adopted as the measurement instrument. The result showed that university students displayed a more favorable overall STEM attitude compared to students enrolled in vocational-oriented polytechnic. University students demonstrated greater STEM self-efficacy than polytechnic students, but no significant difference in STEM expectancy-value was detected between the two groups. From the perspective of inter-group comparison, university education consistently fostered students a heightened sense of STEM self-efficacy, expectancy-value and career interest in science, whereas vocationally-oriented polytechnic education boasted its unique strengths in cultivating robust attitudes and career interests towards science and engineering/technology. However, students in both institutions exhibited a relatively less positive attitude towards learning mathematics. The findings highlight the importance of learning experiences in shaping students' STEM attitudes and career interests. |
| URL | https://oaji.net/articles/2023/987-1729496070.pdf |
| DOI | 10.33225/jbse/24.23.979 |
| Refereed Designation | Refereed |
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