Math Self-Efficacy and STEM Intentions: A Person-Centered Approach

Impact of Provincial Income Inequality on Parenting Styles in China during COVID-19

Research on Chinese parenting styles using representative samples is limited, particularly during COVID-19, with most studies focusing on individual factors while neglecting regional influences. This study examines the impact of provincial income inequality, measured by the Gini coefficient, on parenting styles and how these effects vary across subgroups. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2020, encompassing 3768 children aged 7-16 years from 25 regions, we employed a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the predictability of provincial income inequality on parenting styles identified through latent class analysis. Three parenting styles emerged during the first year of COVID-19: authoritarian (48.2%), autonomy granting (27.7%), and average-level undifferentiated (24.1%). A higher Gini coefficient related to a greater likelihood of parents adopting authoritarian or autonomy-granting parenting styles over average-level undifferentiated parenting. Subgroup analyses revealed a higher likelihood of adopting autonomy-granting and authoritarian parenting for male children compared to female. Mothers with lower education levels and parents in rural areas tend to favor authoritarian parenting in response to higher income inequality. This trend was less evident among more educated mothers and parents living in urban areas. These findings suggest that parenting styles in China are influenced by complex and region-specific factors.

Consequential insights for advancing informal STEM learning and outcomes for students from historically marginalized communities

Consequential STEM experiences in informal settings can address issues of equity by fully engaging historically marginalized high school students in complex socio-scientific issues. However, inclusive and effective programs are in high demand, and there is little research on what specific aspects, context, and timeframes are most important when scaling these experiences. Using a mixed method approach, this study demonstrates that students make significant gains, in the short and long term, through in-person and remote informal programs ranging between 22-h and 320-h. Progress across STEM learning constructs is attributed to authentic research experiences, students' connections to STEM professionals, direct hands-on participation in projects, and group work. Relative to formal education settings, research-based informal STEM programs can be implemented with minimal resources, can maintain effectiveness while scaling, and work towards addressing the societal challenge of improving STEM learning and outcomes for high school students from historically marginalized communities.

Advancing a cross-cultural understanding of teacher perceptions of school climate: A latent class analysis using 2018 TALIS data

In recent years, school climate has increasingly received research attention. Most studies have focused only on student perceptions of school climate, whereas little is known regarding teachers’ views, and cross-country comparisons are scarce. To advance cross-country understanding of teacher perceptions of school climate, this study used data from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS) to explore latent classes of teacher perceptions and compared differences between American, Finnish, and Chinese teachers. Latent class analysis revealed that a four-class solution was the most appropriate for each teacher subsample: positive participation and teacher-student relation, positive teacher-student relation, moderate, and low participation for the U.S. and China datasets, while positive teacher-student relation, moderate, negative discipline, and low participation for the Finland dataset. However, measurement invariance across countries was violated. We further investigated the impact of predictors on latent classes of teacher perceptions of school climate. The results revealed varied patterns of cross-cultural differences across countries. Our findings implied that a more reliable and valid scale of teacher perceptions of school climate for cross-country comparison is needed. Tailored interventions are necessary as more than half of teachers perceived moderate and less desired school climate, and educators should consider cultural differences when drawing on experiences from other countries.

Predictors of high school students' mathematics self-efficacy in Addis Ababa: The importance of educational expectations

In Ethiopia studies on high school students' mathematics self-efficacy and associated factors are scarce. The present study examined students' mathematics self-efficacy and associated predictors among high school students in Addis Ababa. Data were collected using adapted questionnaire from 120 students (9th and 10th graders) recruited via multi-stage sampling. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, ANOVA, Chi-square and logistic regressions were utilized to analyze the collected data. In the study it was found that students have more than average mathematics self-efficacy even though significant numbers of students (44.2%) have low mathematics self-efficacy. It was also revealed that differences in grade level [t(118) = 2.545, p < 0.05] and students' expected grade in the upcoming national exam [F(3,116) = 5.553, p < 0.05] were statistically significant. Living arrangements (AOR = 6.704, 95% CI = 1.598-28.118), expected grade in the upcoming national exam (AOR = 5.808, 95% CI = 1.804-18.696) and expected marks in the semester (AOR = 1.126, 95% CI = 1.055-1.202) are significant predictors of students' mathematics self-efficacy. Generally educational expectations are important predictors of students' mathematics self-efficacy. Therefore, researchers and organizations need to gear their attention towards improving students' mathematics self-efficacy.

Investigation of STEM Subject and Career Aspirations of Lower Secondary School Students in the North Calotte Region of Finland, Norway, and Russia

This study investigates the suitability of the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) to measure secondary school students’ aspirations towards STEM subjects and careers. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to assess the initial structural validity of the adapted STEM-CIS survey, where the science subscale was extended to four science disciplines, to align with the way science is taught in Finland and Russia. The results indicate that the interest in STEM subjects in general is not at a high level in any of the countries. There is a traditional gender gap regarding STEM subjects in every dimension, which favors females in biology and males in technology and engineering. STEM stereotypes among students—due to low exposure to STEM professions at school—can explain students’ low interest despite high self-efficacies. Our study shows that we must increase informal learning opportunities inside and outside school and improve career counselling for students so that they will be more informed of STEM career opportunities.

Calculus Self-Efficacy Inventory: Its Development and Relationship with Approaches to learning

This study was framed within a quantitative research methodology to develop a concise measure of calculus self-efficacy with high psychometric properties. A survey research design was adopted in which 234 engineering and economics students rated their confidence in solving year-one calculus tasks on a 15-item inventory. The results of a series of exploratory factor analyses using minimum rank factor analysis for factor extraction, oblique promin rotation, and parallel analysis for retaining extracted factors revealed a one-factor solution of the model. The final 13-item inventory was unidimensional with all eigenvalues greater than 0.42, an average communality of 0.74, and a 62.55% variance of the items being accounted for by the latent factor, i.e., calculus self-efficacy. The inventory was found to be reliable with an ordinal coefficient alpha of 0.90. Using Spearman’ rank coefficient, a significant positive correlation ρ ( 95 ) =   0.27 ,   p <   0.05 (2-tailed) was found between the deep approach to learning and calculus self-efficacy, and a negative correlation ρ ( 95 ) =   − 0.26 ,   p <   0.05 (2-tailed) was found between the surface approach to learning and calculus self-efficacy. These suggest that students who adopt the deep approach to learning are confident in dealing with calculus exam problems while those who adopt the surface approach to learning are less confident in solving calculus exam problems.

Self-Concept Profiles in Lower Secondary Level - An Explanation for Gender Differences in Science Course Selection?

One of the most powerful determinants of course selection in upper secondary level is undoubtedly students' self-concept. Students with a high self-concept in a domain are more likely to select a course in that domain. However, according to the dimensional comparison theory, the formation of self-concept includes comparison processes with self-concepts in other domains. Regarding gender, females are less likely to choose physics and are more likely to have lower STEM self-concepts as well as lower aspirations toward STEM careers than males. In Germany, students in Grade 10 choose specific academic tracks to attend during upper secondary school. The academic track choice goes in hand with choosing advanced courses. This choice entails the decision about whether to pursue STEM subjects. We adopted the person-centered approach of latent profile analysis (LPA) to investigate the patterns of students' self-concepts across the five domains, math, biology, reading, English, and physics. Furthermore, we investigated how those patterns influence educational choices regarding science subjects in upper secondary school in Germany. Based on a sample of 1,658 students, we tested whether the distinct profiles of self-concept in different domains in Grade 8 predicted gendered science course selection in Grade 10 as well as career aspirations in science. LPAs yielded four distinct profiles of self-concept that differed in level and shape: high math, high verbal, low overall, and high overall. These profiles were equivalent across gender. Gender differences were manifested in the relative distribution across the four profiles: females were more present in the low overall and high verbal-related self-concept profiles and males in the overall high and high math-related self-concept profiles. The profiles differed regarding abilities, choice of science course in upper secondary level, and science career aspirations.