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When asked to draw a scientist, children typically draw a gender stereotypical male representation; however, research has not yet assessed these representations in terms of scientist stereotypical skin tone. The current study examined children's (N = 69, 66.7% female, Mage = 7.60, SD = 2.13) scientist perceptions by analyzing both the gender and skin tone of their scientist drawings as well as stereotypical features represented (lab coats, scientific instruments, etc.). This study also examined how these perceptions as reflected in the drawings were related to children's explicit gender stereotypes and their science growth mindset. Boys were less likely to draw a female scientist than were girls. Additionally, children with higher growth mindset were more likely to draw a female scientist. Lastly, with age, children were less likely to draw a female scientist, or a darker skin‐toned scientist as compared with a male or lighter skin‐toned scientist and were more likely to draw a scientist with stereotypical features. This study furthers our knowledge of children's perceptions about scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racially minoritized groups are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degree programs and careers, warranting the need to examine students' racialized experiences in K‐12 settings that may influence their STEM persistence. In particular, the current study explored adolescent perceptions of school racial climate (SRC) as a potential contributor to pre‐college racial disparities in STEM. We used latent class analysis to group adolescents based on their SRC perceptions and explored group differences in their interest in a STEM career and their belonging, psychological needs satisfaction, and engagement in STEM courses. Adolescent participants (N = 412, 50.2% female, 36.9% male, 12.9% other/not reported, Mage = 15.72 years, standard deviation = 1.24) attending five high schools in the Southeastern United States, were grouped into five classes based on their perceptions of SRC: Critical SRC (CritSRC), Average SRC, Average with Stereotyping, Positive SRC (PosSRC), and Positive with Stereotyping. Latent class membership differed by race, age, and learning environment. Results revealed that students with more positive perceptions of SRC reported greater belonging, engagement, and needs satisfaction in their STEM courses and more interest in a STEM career compared to students with CritSRC perceptions. Findings also indicated that White students were more likely than Black students to perceive a PosSRC. Recommendations for areas of future research and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining adolescents' engagement with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in and out of school may help ensure that adolescents are prepared to enter the STEM workforce. This study aims to extend prior work by documenting internal and external factors that matter for both STEM class engagement as well as engagement with STEM outside of school through STEM activism. Participants included ninth and tenth grade students (N = 852) from ethnically diverse public schools in the Southeastern United States, approximately evenly divided by gender. Findings from regression analyses revealed that girls and participants who perceive educational barriers to STEM were less engaged in STEM classes, whereas those who reported learning about more male scientists in class, and those who reported higher levels of belonging, STEM growth mindset, and STEM motivation were more engaged in STEM classes. Those who reported higher critical motivation, critical action, belonging, and STEM motivation were more engaged in STEM activism outside of school. Findings suggest that STEM teachers and out‐of‐school program developers may learn new ways to engage students from each other. Further, findings highlight some factors that may promote engagement in STEM both in and out of schools such as belonging and STEM motivation. Practitioner points: While related, STEM engagement in school and out of school are driven by somewhat different factors.Educators in and out of school should foster belonging and motivation to engage adolescents in STEM.Critical consciousness may promote engagement in STEM out of school, whereas growth mindset may be more important for in school STEM engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are rife with inequalities and under‐representation that have their roots in childhood. While researchers have focused on gender and race/ethnicity as two key dimensions of inequality, less attention has been paid to wealth. To this end, and drawing from the Social Reasoning Development approach, we examined children's and adolescents' perceptions of STEM ability and access to opportunities as a function of wealth, as well as their desire to rectify such inequalities. Participants (n = 234: early childhood, n = 70, mean age = 6.33, SD =.79; middle childhood, n = 92, mean age = 8.90, SD =.83 and early adolescence, n = 62, mean age = 12.00; SD = 1.16) in the U.K. (64% White British) and U.S. (40% White/European American) read about two characters, one high‐wealth and one low‐wealth. In early childhood, participants reported that the high‐wealth character would have greater STEM ability and were just as likely to invite either character to take part in a STEM opportunity. By middle childhood, participants were more likely to report equal STEM abilities for both characters and to seek to rectify inequalities by inviting the low‐wealth character to take part in a STEM opportunity. However, older participants reported that peers would still prefer to invite the high‐wealth character. These findings also varied by ethnic group status, with minority status participants rectifying inequalities at a younger age than majority status participants. Together these findings document that children are aware of STEM inequalities based on wealth and, with age, will increasingly seek to rectify these inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]