Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Envisioning a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: some challenges and possibilities

  • Forum
  • Published:
Cultural Studies of Science Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In How High School Students Envision Their STEM Career Pathways, Lin Zhang and Michael Barnett attempt to shed light on the problem of underrepresented students (e.g., Aboriginals, Hispanics, African Americans, urban, females) in STEM higher education and related careers by exploring, in general terms, five high school students’ career visions and the experiences that influenced their career visions. In this paper, I attempt to extend the authors’ discussions on the underrepresentation of minority students in STEM higher education by highlighting some of the factors that begin to influence youths’ career decisions long before they reach the high school level and are required to make specific career choices. I also draw on Glen Aikenhead’s Sci Edu, 27, 1–52 (1996) notion of border crossing and research by Victoria Costa Sci Edu, 79, 313–333 (1995) to reflect on the significance of the relationship between students’ cultural worlds and the cultural world of school science.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aikenhead, G. (1996). Border crossing into the subculture of science. Science Education, 27, 1–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, D., & Leary, R. (1995). Letting girls speak out about science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32, 3–27. doi:10.1002/tea.3660320104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barman, C. (1997). Students’ views of scientists and science: Results from a national study. Science and Children, 35, 18–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1995). Developmental ecology through space and time: A future perspective. In P. Moen, G.H.Elder, & K. Luscher (Eds.), Examining lives in context: Perspectives on the ecology of human development (pp. 619–647). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10176-018.

  • Carlone, H., & Johnson, A. (2007). Understanding the science experiences of successful women of color: Science identity as an analytic lens. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44, 1187–1218. doi:10.1002/tea.20237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa, V. (1995). When science is “another world”: Relationships between worlds of family, friends, school, and science. Science Education, 79, 313–333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diekman, A., Brown, E., Johnston, A., & Clark, E. (2010). Seeking congruity between goals and roles: A new look at why women opt out of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers. Psychological Science, 21, 1051–1057.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • English, L., Hudson, P., & Dawes, L. (2011). Middle school students’ perceptions of engineering. In P. Hudson, & C. Vinesh (Eds.), STEM in Education Conference: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Education Conference, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld. Retrieved on July 27, 2013 from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/44086/.

  • Gottfredson, L. (1981). Circumscription and compromise: A developmental theory of occupational aspirations. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 28, 545–579. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.28.6.545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodson, D. (1998). Teaching and learning science: Towards a personalized approach. Buckingham: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huber, R., & Burton, G. (1995). What do students think scientists look like? School Science and Mathematics, 95, 371–376. doi:10.1111/j.1949-8594.1995.tb15804.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, M., Howe, A., & Rua, M. (2000). Gender differences in students’ experiences, interests, and attitudes toward science and scientists. Science Education, 84, 180–192. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-237X(200003)84:2<180:AID-SCE3>3.0.CO;2-X.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ladany, N., Melincoff, D., Constantine, M., & Love, R. (1997). At-risk urban high school students’ commitment to career choices. Journal of Counseling and Development, 76, 45–52. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.1997.tb02375.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mead, M., & Metraux, R. (1957). The image of the scientist among high school students: A pilot study. Science, 126, 384–390. doi:10.1126/science.126.3270.384.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phelan, P., Davidson, A., & Yu, H. (1993). Students’ multiple worlds: Negotiating the boundaries of family, peer, and school cultures. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 22, 224–250. doi:10.1525/aeq.1991.22.3.05x1051k.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, W., & Erb, T. O. (1986). Effect of women science career role models on early adolescents’ attitudes toward scientists and women in science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 8, 667–676. doi:10.1002/tea.3660230802.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada

    Azza Sharkawy

Authors
  1. Azza Sharkawy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Azza Sharkawy.

Additional information

Lead Editor: B. Cowie.

This review essay addresses issues raised in the L. Zhang and M. Barnett’s paper entitled: How high school students envision their STEM career pathways. doi:10.1007/s11422-013-9557-9.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sharkawy, A. Envisioning a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: some challenges and possibilities. Cult Stud of Sci Educ 10, 657–664 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-014-9636-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-014-9636-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation