Understanding Individual and Gender Differences in Educational and Career Choices

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管近年来女孩在数学和科学课程的学习和表现方面取得了重大进展，但对女性在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）某些领域从事职业的人数仍然存在担忧。在生物和医学的本科和硕士课程中，女性的比例都很高；然而，在数学、物理、工程和计算机科学等各个层次的培训中，女性的比例仍然不足。基于期望价值理论，教师和家长提供的机会以及在学校和家庭中与STEM相关的活动相关的经验塑造了个人自我效能感、兴趣、任务价值观和长期生活目标的发展，这些发展反过来又影响了STEM和非STEM领域的教育和职业选择（例如大学专业和职业）。决定进入STEM领域的性别差异可能与这些动机信念的性别差异有关。不幸的是，现有的研究往往是横断面的，忽视了主要学校转型期间发生的变化，因此未能记录自我效能感、兴趣、价值观、对数学和科学的态度和表现的规范性变化。此外，许多研究采取了缺陷的观点，关注个人或女性的缺点，而不是确定预测个人成功和追求的心理和环境因素

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Notwithstanding the significant progress exhibited by girls in math and science course taking and performance in recent years, concerns regarding the number of females pursuing careers in certain fields in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) remain. Females are well represented in both undergraduate- and master-level programs in the biological and medical sciences; however, they continue to be underrepresented at all levels of training in mathematics, physical, engineering, and computer sciences. Based on Expectancy-Value theory, the opportunities provided by teachers and parents and the experiences associated with STEM-related activities in school and family shape the development of an individual's self- efficacy, interests, task values, and long-term life goals which in turn, influence educational and career choices (e.g., college majors and occupations) in STEM and non-STEM fields. Gender differences in the decision to enter STEM fields may be associated with gendered differences in these motivational beliefs. Unfortunately, extant research tends to be cross-sectional, ignoring changes that occur across major school transitions and thus failing to document normative changes in self-efficacy, interests, values, attitudes toward, and performance in math and science. In addition, much of the research takes a deficit perspective focusing on the shortcomings of individuals or females as opposed to identifying the psychological and contextual factors that predict individual success and pursuit of STEM-related careers. Using the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY), a longitudinal study of a national sample of 3116 public school students in the United States, the PI seeks to investigate the development of STEM-related self-efficacy, interests, and valuing during secondary school and then to relate these motivational beliefs to STEM-related educational and career choices. Specifically, this project will (Aim 1) investigate developmental changes and gender differences in adolescent motivational beliefs (e.g., self-efficacy, interests, task value) s adolescents proceed from middle school through high school, (Aim 2) examine whether family-based experiences influence adolescent motivational beliefs, which in turn, predict their academic performance and educational and career choices in STEM and non-STEM areas, (Aim 3) determine whether family and motivational factors and processes leading to different patterns and pathways in the pursuit of STEM and non-STEM careers differ by gender.