Study of motivational aspects that may encourage students’ interest in STEM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5944/ribim.29.1.44569Keywords:
Academic motivation; STEM; active learning; engineering education; engineering perception.Abstract
This article investigates the behaviour of academic motivation when students studying at the pre-university level are exposed to educational interventions aimed at promoting STEM vocations (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This research is part of a larger study linked to the STEMPATHY project, which evaluates how pre-university students perceive engineering when technical university students interact with them within workshops designed by the research team to promote STEM vocations. The analyses indicate that academic motivation during the activities is strongly influenced by the students' pre-existing interest. Additionally, gender emerges as a differentiating factor. It is interesting to note that students with prior interest in technology, both female and male participants, exhibit similar responses to the facilitators' activities. However, female students display lower scores across all dimensions, particularly in their perception of the utility of STEM subjects, indicating a generally lower affinity for STEM fields. Nevertheless, their perception improves significantly when considering the "care" dimension—that is, when they perceive a genuine interest from the instructor in their learning, fostering a comfortable environment and promoting active learning.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Isabel Teresa Martín Mateos, Carlos E. Mora, Ana M. Martín, Juan A. Rodríguez-Hernández, Marta Delgado-Oliva
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