Student perceptions of STEM camp experience and STEM career pathways: a mixed methods study

Abstract

This study examined students’ perceptions of STEM camp experience to gauge whether their participation in an industry-focused STEM camp fostered their familiarity with post-secondary education and facilitated an interest in pursuing STEM-related careers. Related literature points to a lack of experiential learning opportunities with the purpose of evaluating student’s interest in post-secondary education and STEM careers. A mixed methods design was used to gauge whether student perceptions of experiential learning opportunities helped develop interest in STEM career pathways. Sixty-eight students (ages 14–18 years) participated in the convergent, parallel mixed methods study. Of these 68 students, 32 were male and 36 were female. Quantitative results for means revealed statistical significance for pre- and post-questions that asked students about their experiences with STEM careers, the college application process, college readiness tools, learning activities that increased knowledge of STEM career pathways, and social learning opportunities (p < 0.05, Table 3). Qualitative results revealed a shift towards experiential learning opportunities that provided information about STEM career paths, such as robotics, and post-secondary education opportunities that lead to specific career paths. This study aimed to evaluate a STEM camp program which offered students experiential learning opportunities where students experienced learning that was industry-focused, integrated, and multi-disciplinary. The purpose of the camp experience was to gauge high school students’ interest toward post-secondary educational opportunities in STEM that facilitated their interest in STEM career pathways. Overall, it was found that students indicated their preference for an ideological shift in learning where learning was open, exploratory, and involved social constructivist learning principles from context to career pathway.