The development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) efficacy and identity among Mexican-origin youth across Latino/a destinations

Persistence in high school curricula leading to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers is structured by complex institutional systems, but developmental processes underlie how young people navigate these systems. This study examined differences in the development of STEM identity and efficacy during high school among Mexican-origin youth-a large and fast-growing demographic group that shows developmental assets and risks. Contextualizing development within larger community structures, this examination focused on the diverse array of destinations throughout the United States where Mexican-origin youth are living as contexts for their STEM identity and efficacy development. Drawing on a dataset integrating the High School Longitudinal study of 2009; Civil Rights Data Collection, decennial U.S. censuses, and the American Community Survey, multilevel models revealed variability in Mexican-origin math/science identity and efficacy development across destinations. Mexican-origin youth in established destinations had higher net growth in math identity but lower net growth in science efficacy than Whites in established destinations. Mexican-origin youth in new destinations followed similar trajectories as their Mexican-origin peers in established destinations but had lower net growth in science identity. Additionally, these patterns varied by immigrant generation. Mexican-origin youth who were the U.S.-born children of immigrants in established destinations had higher net growth in math identity than Whites in established destinations, but this generational group in new destinations had lower net growth in math identity, science identity, and science efficacy than these peers. These findings highlight the importance of communities and their embedded ecological contexts in shaping STEM identity and efficacy among Mexican-origin youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Suspended in context: School discipline, STEM course taking, and school racial/ethnic composition

STEM curricula and school disciplinary regimes are key foundations of the transition to adulthood, and they may be connected within school contexts in ways that reflect and exacerbate the intergenerational transmission of inequality. This study examines such connections with particular attention to student race/ethnicity and the racial/ethnic composition of high schools. Bivariate probit analyses of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 and the Civil Rights Data Collection of 2012 revealed that early suspension was associated with truncated trajectories of Calculus course taking later in high school while taking Algebra I in grade 9 was associated with avoiding suspension. The proportion of disciplinary cases of racial/ethnic peers was associated with the math coursework of boys and the proportion of Calculus enrollment moderated the association between Algebra I in 9th grade and suspension during high school for girls. These results confirm the value of studying the interplay of formal and informal processes of schooling.