Premium
Rural Appalachian High School Students’ College‐Going and STEMM Perceptions
Author(s) -
Rosecrance Pamela H.,
Graham Danielle,
Manring Sam,
Cook Katherine D.,
Hardin Erin E.,
Gibbons Melinda M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
the career development quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.846
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 2161-0045
pISSN - 0889-4019
DOI - 10.1002/cdq.12202
Subject(s) - appalachia , psychology , perception , vocational education , social cognitive theory , west virginia , appalachian region , gerontology , medical education , social psychology , pedagogy , medicine , history , archaeology , physical geography , geography , paleontology , neuroscience , biology
The authors examined perceptions of key social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) variables related to college‐going and science, technology, engineering, math, and medical (STEMM) careers in 10th and 11th graders ( N = 892) attending 3 rural Appalachian high schools. The authors examined differences in perceptions related to gender, prospective 1st‐generation college student status, and the presence or absence of aspirations to pursue a STEMM career. Young women and young men scored similarly on all but 1 dependent variable, college‐going self‐efficacy (young women scored higher). Students who had STEMM career aspirations had higher scores on every measure than those who did not. Results suggest examining a 3rd prospective 1st‐generation college student status group—students who are unsure of their parents’ education level—as a distinct group in future research. By examining the college‐going and STEMM attitudes of rural Appalachian high school students, this study advances the literature and informs practitioners on reducing educational and vocational inequalities in this region.