ERIC Number: EJ1379965
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0304-3797
EISSN: EISSN-1469-5898
A Suite of Measures for Children's Achievement Beliefs in Engineering-Related Activities and Skills
European Journal of Engineering Education, v47 n6 p1335-1355 2022
In the interest of understanding choices related to achievement, persistence, and performance that inform pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, the current research pursued a novel approach to asking young children about their beliefs related to engineering. The Engineering-Related Activities and Skills (ERAS) items were developed to use instead of the term 'engineering' to measure children's achievement-related ability beliefs (competence) and subjective task values (importance, interest). A range of methods across three studies were implemented in the development and assessment of evidence related to the internal structure of the ERAS items across the domains of ability beliefs and subjective task values (N = 949 students). Results suggest initial evidence for the ERAS items being valid in measuring children's perceptions of engineering-related competence, importance, and interest. Theoretical and practical implications related to the factors that influence the academic and career choices in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, as well as future directions are outlined.
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Engineering Education, STEM Careers, Childrens Attitudes, Competence, Career Choice, Elementary School Students
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: DRL1561424