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Abstract This study explores adolescents' evaluations of unfair teacher and peer behavior in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classes. Participants included ninth and tenth grade students from five public schools in the Southeastern United States, (N = 577, 45.9% female, 49% male, 5% other/prefer not to say/unsure). Students were ethnically representative of their communities: 48% White/European American, 22.7% Black/African American, 14% Latino/a/e/x, and 15.3% multi‐racial/other/prefer not to say. Measures assessed adolescents' responses to hypothetical scenarios of unfair treatment. The findings indicate that adolescents recognize both teacher and peer unfair behavior as wrong, with nuanced differences based on participants' gender and grade. Attribution analysis reveals varied expected reasons for unfair treatment. Responses to unfair behavior differ, with adolescents more likely to confront peers than teachers. Demographic factors, school climate, discrimination, belonging, and critical consciousness contribute to variations in judgments and responses. The study highlights the importance of addressing unfair treatment in STEM settings to foster inclusivity and support student persistence in STEM. 

Past research has shown that growth mindset and motivational beliefs have an important role in math and science career interest in adolescence. Drawing on situated expectancy-value theory (SEVT), this study extends these findings by investigating the role of parental motivational beliefs (e.g., expectancy beliefs, utility values) and parent growth mindset in math on adolescent career interest in math-intensive fields (e.g., mathematics, computer science, statistics, and engineering; MCSE) through adolescent motivational beliefs in math. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model using data from 290 adolescents (201 girls, 69.3%;M_age= 15.20), who participate in informal STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) youth programs, and their parents (162 parents, 87.7% female) in the United Kingdom and the United States. As hypothesized, adolescent expectancy beliefs, utility values, and growth mindset in math had a significant direct effect on MCSE career interest. Further, there was a significant indirect effect of parental expectancy beliefs in math on MCSE career interest through adolescents’ expectancy beliefs. Similarly, there was a significant indirect effect from parental utility values in math to MCSE career interest through adolescents’ utility values. The findings suggest that parents’ math motivational beliefs play a critical role in adolescent math motivational beliefs and their career interest in math-intensive fields.