Investigating academic and demographic similarities to career role models for motivating diverse college students in STEM

IF 9.7 1区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL

Learning and Individual Differences Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2025-10-24 DOI:10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102807

Xiao-Yin Chen , Emily Q. Rosenzweig

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Similar role models can be powerful tools to motivate participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, but it is unclear what types of similarity are most important to students' motivation. The current study investigated the different ways college students (n = 1185) perceived similarity to STEM role models and how different perceptions of similarity predicted students' STEM career motivation. We assessed overall trends as well as unique patterns among marginalized and non-marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM. Perceiving academic similarity to role models positively and robustly predicted students' STEM career motivation, whereas perceiving demographic similarity to role models played a more limited role. Perceiving similar academic efforts to role models seemed to be especially important for motivating students from marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM. Findings have important implications for how to leverage role models in college interventions designed to promote STEM motivation and career participation.

Educational relevance and implications statement

Though role models have been shown to be powerful tools in shaping motivation in many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines, not all STEM role models are equally powerful motivators to college students. Our results suggest that role models perceived as academically similar (i.e., in terms of academic abilities, interests, or efforts) may positively support college students' competence-related beliefs and values for pursuing STEM careers. Students' gender and racial/ethnic background also shaped how they related to and felt motivated by STEM role models. Presenting students with role models who put forth similar academic efforts to students may be especially helpful in supporting motivation among students from historically marginalized gender and racial/ethnic groups in STEM.

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调查学术和人口统计学上职业榜样的相似之处，以激励不同的STEM大学生

相似的榜样可以成为激励学生参与科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科的有力工具，但目前尚不清楚哪种类型的相似性对学生的动机最重要。目前的研究调查了大学生（n = 1185）对STEM角色榜样的不同感知方式，以及对相似性的不同感知如何预测学生的STEM职业动机。我们评估了STEM中边缘化和非边缘化性别和种族/族裔群体的总体趋势以及独特模式。感知与榜样的学术相似性对学生的STEM职业动机有积极而有力的预测作用，而感知与榜样的人口相似性对学生STEM职业动机的作用则较为有限。在STEM中，看到与榜样相似的学术努力似乎对于激励来自边缘化性别和种族/民族群体的学生尤为重要。研究结果对于如何在旨在促进STEM动机和职业参与的大学干预措施中利用榜样具有重要意义。教育相关性和影响陈述尽管在许多科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学科中，榜样被证明是塑造动机的有力工具，但并不是所有的STEM榜样对大学生来说都是同样强大的激励因素。我们的研究结果表明，被认为在学术上相似的榜样（即在学术能力、兴趣或努力方面）可能会积极支持大学生追求STEM职业的能力相关信念和价值观。学生的性别和种族/民族背景也影响了他们与STEM榜样的关系，并受到他们的激励。向学生展示与他们在学术上付出类似努力的榜样，可能特别有助于鼓励来自历史上被边缘化的性别和种族/民族群体的学生学习STEM。

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来源期刊

Learning and Individual Differences PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL-

CiteScore

6.60

自引率

2.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： Learning and Individual Differences is a research journal devoted to publishing articles of individual differences as they relate to learning within an educational context. The Journal focuses on original empirical studies of high theoretical and methodological rigor that that make a substantial scientific contribution. Learning and Individual Differences publishes original research. Manuscripts should be no longer than 7500 words of primary text (not including tables, figures, references).