Why some STEM subjects lead to STEM careers: domain-specific attitudes and aspirations in junior secondary students

Differences in students’ attitudes toward individual STEM domains may be associated with differences in their career aspirations. This study examined associations among domain-specific STEM attitudes, participation in additional school elective and extracurricular STEM activities, and career aspirations among junior secondary students. Using a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, data were collected from Year 7 students ( N = 99; 48 females, 51 males) in Australian secondary schools. Attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics were modelled using Rasch analysis to evaluate the measures and generate interval-level person measures. Quantitative analyses included repeated-measures ANOVA, linear regression, and logistic regression, complemented by qualitative content analysis of students’ open-ended responses. Attitudes differed significantly across STEM domains, with attitudes toward technology significantly lower than those toward science, engineering, and mathematics. Additional STEM participation was associated with more positive attitudes toward mathematics and engineering but not science or technology. In the primary logistic regression, science and engineering attitudes were positively associated with STEM career aspiration, whereas technology and mathematics were not. Engineering remained associated with STEM career aspiration when health professions were reclassified as non-STEM, whereas the science association was attenuated and no longer statistically significant. Qualitative findings indicated that students frequently interpreted STEM domains in terms of future utility, with science and engineering more often linked to identifiable future careers than technology or mathematics. The findings highlight the value of examining STEM attitudes at the level of individual STEM domains. More positive engineering attitudes showed the most robust association with STEM career aspiration. Students’ explanations further indicated the perceived future utility and career relevance of each STEM domain. These findings provide a domain-specific perspective on the relationship between STEM attitudes and emerging career aspirations during early secondary schooling.