Investigating STEM interest and its relationship with academic success among urban secondary school students

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, fostering interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among secondary school students has become increasingly critical. STEM-related careers are projected to lead future job markets, yet many students exhibit low confidence or limited motivation to pursue these fields, especially in secondary education. Although previous studies have explored general attitudes toward STEM, there is limited research focusing on how students' demographic factors and interest levels correlate with academic performance, particularly in urban school locations. The study aims to determine students’ interest level in STEM courses against demographic profiles, such as gender and grades in STEM subjects, and to explore the relationship between their interest and academic performance. A questionnaire was distributed to 53 secondary school students from urban schools in Selangor, Malaysia. Key opinion indicators are on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Descriptive analysis and correlation analysis were performed using SPSS software. The results show that most respondents preferred STEM, believed studying the field is essential for the future, and will succeed in learning it. The results also indicate that instructional methods, real-world examples, and parental support helped students become more interested in STEM. The study implies that curriculum interest was significant to the respondents but had a statistically insignificant correlation to their performance. The study suggests additional support is needed to sustain students’ confidence and interest in STEM classes.