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Background:Science internships have been suggested as a powerful way to engage high school students in conducting authentic science inquiry. However, despite the recognized significance of high school science internships, little research is done to examinehowthese experiences affect high school students’ career choices.Purpose:Our study drew on the theoretical framework of social cognitive career theory to examine how a 7-month science internship might shape high school students’ career choices.Method:88 students were interviewed 6–8 months after their internship graduation.Findings:The analysis suggests that the science internships altered more than 90% of the participating students’ career choices by either enhancing, expanding, narrowing down, or even replacing their original career choices. Students reported that the science internships boosted their self-efficacy through their first-hand mastery of authentic STEM practices, by directly observing scientists’ STEM performance, by hearing scientists’ opinions on students’ capabilities and potential in STEM, and by the impact of the students’ own physiological and affective states on the STEM practices.Implications:These findings help educators better understand how a unique learning environment like science internship may influence high school students’ career choices; they have important implications for internship design, career counseling, and education policy.
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Exploring Science Identities in Elementary Classrooms
A student’s science identity has important implications for their persistence in science classes and success in STEM careers. Unfortunately, many marginalized students in the science field do not feel like scientists; thus, we need to understand ways in which we can help foster science identities in elementary education. Researchers surveyed 148 third- and fourth-grade students and their teachers across 10 public schools in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. to understand students’ science identity. A mixed methods approach, using a multi-level model and thematic coding of open-ended responses revealed that science curiosity, science self-efficacy, and teacher practices may be important factors to consider when examining students’ science identity development. Hands-on experiences that match students’ perceptions of what scientists do in the real world, positive affirmations like telling students they are scientists, and encouraging the process of doing science rather than needing to know all answers were common themes amongst students that felt high perceptions of science identity. Classroom practices and implications were explored.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2145478
- PAR ID:
- 10666306
- Editor(s):
- Jaswal, Vikram
- Publisher / Repository:
- Journal of Cognition and Development
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Cognition and Development
- ISSN:
- 1524-8372
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 25
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2025.2606274
