Influence of social cognitive and ethnic variables on academic goals of underrepresented students in science and engineering: a multiple-groups analysis.
This study investigated the academic interests and goals of 223 African American, Latino/a, Southeast Asian, and Native American undergraduate students in two groups: biological science and engineering (S/E) majors. Using social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994), we examined the relationships of social cognitive variables (math/science academic self-efficacy, math/science outcome expectations), along with the influence of ethnic variables (ethnic identity, other-group orientation) and perceptions of campus climate to their math/science interests and goal commitment to earn an S/E degree. Path analysis revealed that the hypothesized model provided good overall fit to the data, revealing significant relationships from outcome expectations to interests and to goals. Paths from academic self-efficacy to S/E goals and from interests to S/E goals varied for students in engineering and biological science. For both groups, other-group orientation was positively related to self-efficacy and support was found for an efficacy-mediated relationship between perceived campus climate and goals. Theoretical and practical implications of the study's findings are considered as well as future research directions.
Byars-Winston
Angela
A
Center for Women's Health Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 53715-2634, USA. ambyars@wisc.edu
Estrada
Yannine
Y
Howard
Christina
C
Davis
Dalelia
D
Zalapa
Juan
J
D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D004738:Engineering / Q000193:education*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment; D012933:Social Identification; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult