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One function of modern education has been to prepare students for future college and/or career pathways. Particular attention in the US is given to preparation in STEM career fields. However, we may not be effective in advising students towards some STEM careers. This qualitative interview study evaluates the perspectives of stakeholders in science career preparation, including high school teachers and counselors, community college and university faculty, and science industry professionals. Interviews were conducted to explore participant perceptions on skills and dispositions students need to be successful in science careers. Results presented focus on areas of agreement and areas of difference between the stakeholder groups, and specific recommendations for practical change in science career development are discussed.

This study explored factors impacting the decision for gifted females to pursue a career in computer science. The study used a phenomenological approach to delve into the experiences of ten gifted alumnae of The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science (Gatton), a residential STEM program, aiming to reveal nuanced insights into factors shaping their career development. Participants were selected based on their initial intentions to pursue careers other than CS before attending Gatton but changing to a CS focus afterward. Semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom and coded using thematic analysis provided rich data on lived experiences and perspectives of participants. Findings shed light on the multifaceted factors influencing gifted women's career intentions before attending Gatton, the transformative effects of the residential STEM program on their decisions to pursue CS careers, and the evolution of their perceptions of CS over time.

League of VetaHumanz uses a nationwide network of university-community partnerships to provide veterinary STEM learning experiences for children who are more likely to lack access to enriching, supplemental educational opportunities due to systemic barriers based on their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. To include participation beyond in-person programming, SuperPower Packs, self-guided, learning experiences, were developed. Leveraging social cognitive career theory and the "Batman Effect," SuperPower Packs are designed to build self-efficacy, and seed STEM and veterinary science career aspirations by engaging children in STEM learning through connections with a veterinary role model. Four SuperPower Packs were developed. Beginning in the fall of 2021, for 17 months, 16,655 SuperPower Packs were distributed to children in 23 states. A small portion of children who received the game (3.8%, N = 614, 6-12 years old) returned evaluation surveys that measured activity engagement, likelihood of role model identification and demographics. Participants indicated variation in their experiences, but mean scale scores show desirable perceptions of engagement (M[subscript Range] = 2.38-2.90/3) and role model identification (M[subscript Range] = 2.15-2.94/3). These positive learning and role model experiences help set the stage to encourage youth to pursue similar learning and career opportunities in the future.

This article reflects on the "Hiddenness Index" we developed, implemented, and evaluated for Concertgebouworkest Young (Young), the youth orchestra of the Dutch Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (Concertgebouworkest) for musicians with "hidden talents." "Hiddenness" alludes to various barriers that young musicians aspiring to a career in Western classical music may face, due to their social identity and positioning. These barriers may cause their talent to remain underdeveloped, invisible, or undiscovered; that is, "hidden." We developed the Index in response to Concertgebouworkest's request for an "evaluation and learning tool." Informed by intersectionality theory, it is an alternative to quantitative research into arts and culture, which takes a single-axis approach to the explanation of inequality in access to cultural production and participation. The first phase of our design-based research consisted of a theory- and practice-based mapping of the dimensions of "hiddenness." The outcome was that Geographical, Socio-economic, Family networks, Ethno-cultural, and Confidence-support dimensions should form the basis of the Hiddenness Index, which was constructed as a composite indicator. In the second phase of research, the Index was applied to the backgrounds of Young participants. The evaluation of the Index's strengths and weaknesses was central to the third phase. Complementing qualitative research, the Index offered a statistical way to evaluate the extent to which Young participants' talents were hidden and which dimensions of hiddenness were most prevalent at the group level. The Index affirmed and illustrated intersectionality theory, including the way two or more dimensions can compensate or reinforce one another. Through the use of the Index, the Young team gained a better understanding of intersectionality, which enabled them to fine-tune the selection process for future cohorts. The Index helped the team members to check their preconceptions (unconscious bias) and made them more aware of and able to attend to the different needs of individual participants.

Postgraduate engagement in delivering outreach activities is more commonplace than it once was. However, the impact on postgraduate students (typically studying for a Ph.D. degree) of participating in the delivery of these outreach activities has rarely, if ever, been recorded. The Bristol ChemLabS Outreach program has been running for ca. 17 years, and in that time, many postgraduate students have been involved (approximately 500), with around 250 typically for up to 3 years. We sought to investigate the impact of outreach engagement on postgraduate alumni who were involved in the program for over 3 years (32) and how the experiences and training of the outreach program had impacted on their careers postgraduation. Thirty of the 32 postgraduates engaged and ~70% reported that their outreach experience had influenced their decision making on future careers. Many respondents reported that the skills and experiences gained through outreach participation had contributed to success in applying for and interviewing at their future employers. All respondents reported that outreach had helped them to develop key skills that were valued in the workplace, specifically, communication, teamwork, organizational skills, time planning, event planning, and event management. Rather than a pleasant distraction or an opportunity to supplement income, all participants noted that they felt there were many additional benefits and that this was time well spent. Outreach should not be viewed as a distraction to science research but rather an important enhancement to it provided that the program is well constructed and seeks to develop those delivering the outreach activities.

Women, ethnic minority, and less affluent groups are widely underrepresented in chemistry, a problem that is observed at all levels but begins before college matriculation takes place. The importance of representation and humanization of scientists is crucial. Despite limited progress over recent decades, poor visibility of role models from underrepresented groups remains problematic, emphasizing the importance of initiatives to positively introduce them in classroom settings. Through profiles of underrepresented "success stories" from academia and industry, the ChemDiverse project was developed to encourage underrepresented groups to pursue the chemical sciences at higher education levels by providing teachers with an easy and structured way of encouraging Scottish high school students into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Based on survey feedback from teachers at participating schools, it is a well-formulated project that is easy to implement within the context of the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence.

The benefits of undergraduate research to student persistence and success has been established in the literature. Less studied, however, is the long term impact of early exposure to research among students from underserved backgrounds. This qualitative study of undergraduates participating in a unique summer research program uncovers the deeper meaning of the overall experience on the students: from the lab itself, to the mentors, peers, professional development, socials, and the impact of the program staff. Three major themes emerged: (1) Early exposure to research as a foundation for career direction; (2) Relationships with peers and mentors as highly valued; and (3) Development of skills leads to personal and professional growth, and confidence. Additionally, underrepresented students described the value of having minority role models and peers, and the excitement of continuing their research throughout their undergraduate careers. A full compensation package of stipend and housing made a practical difference for several of the participants. This qualitative study offers a deeper understanding of these impacts through the voices of the participants.

Internationally, there is an under-supply of intellectual capital to provide for STEM-related employment. One contributing factor is the low number of female students selecting STEM school subjects and careers. Despite the literature recommending students engage in STEM activities earlier, many initiatives are not implemented until high school. This paper reports on an Australian project named MindSET-do which provided students with early positive STEM experiences prior to high school to raise awareness of, interest in, and aspirations for STEM-related subjects and careers. The case study surveyed n = 107 Year 6 boys' and girls' interests, ability beliefs and expectations in STEM school subjects and careers. Students' awareness and interest in STEM-related subjects and careers increased significantly following experiences with inquiry-based STEM activities, X[superscript 2](1, n = 107) = 4.57 to 63.67, p < 0.05. Expectancy for success in mathematics was significantly higher for males than for females (U = 1125, p = 0.044, r = 0.2). Expectancy for success in science was slightly lower for the female group, but p > 0.05. Logistic regression found females were 24 percent less likely to have a positive view of mathematics than males (p = 0.003). Gender differences in STEM ability versus ability beliefs and expectancies for success are discussed, with recommendations for earlier positive experiences with STEM tasks.

This research examines the role of input and process-based approaches in enhancing faculty members' commitment to their research careers in the context of higher education. Specifically, we investigate the mediating effect of research self-efficacy on the relationship between professional research network and commitment to research career, as well as the moderating effect of career aspiration. Our findings reveal a direct positive link between professional research network and commitment to research career. Moreover, research self-efficacy is found to mediate the relationship between professional research network and commitment to research career. We also find that career aspiration did not moderate the relationship between research self-efficacy and commitment to research career. Our study contributes to the literature by providing a more comprehensive understanding of how professional research networks may enhance research self-efficacy, leading to greater commitment to research careers among faculty members in higher education institutions. Additionally, our research sheds light on the important role of career aspiration as a key factor in shaping the relationship between research self-efficacy and commitment to research career.

This contribution proposes a fourth paradigm for twenty-first century careers adopting a sustainable development framework. First the evolution of the career development field through three paradigms (individual differences, individual development, life design) of career science and practice is offered. Then sustainable development as a fourth paradigm is introduced considering two pillars, Sustainability Science including contributions from the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development, and Human Security Psychology. Enhancing the well-being of individuals and environments, the fourth paradigm asks for redefining sustainable careers, career intervention, and skills for career counselors. Decent work, decent lives and healthy lives issues are included.

The potential for vocational students to achieve success in entrepreneurship is considerable, especially since they have acquired specific skills that are in line with their area of specialization since the beginning of their vocational schooling. However, schools cannot be alone in promoting entrepreneurial careers among vocational students. This study aims to measure the role of three educational centers, in influencing self-efficacy, entrepreneurial intention and career choice as an entrepreneur. This study was approached with a quantitative approach using structural equation modeling (SEM), the sample in the study was 354 vocational students. Data analysis through four stages, namely exploratory factor analysis, normality and outlier tests, confirmatory factor analysis and hypotheses testing (structural model). The results showed that the three education centers significantly influence self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention which in turn can encourage students to choose a career as an entrepreneur. This research contributes to the understanding of how the three education centers can be an important catalyst in shaping a generation of resilient and innovative entrepreneurs.

Sustainable Livelihoods are more adaptable than precarious jobs, for career development through Decent Work. An essential element for Career Sustainability is Climate action, that includes Just Transitions from carbon-intensive to carbon-neutral or regenerative work. This paper analyses a municipal transition from coal-mining to a more carbon-neutral, city economy, which has foregrounded just transition for miners, and improved the wider ecosystem. The Polish city of Katowice in Poland illustrates how work and career structures, in this case municipal, can work for people in everyday life and their future careers. The case may also serve as a lighthouse project for future just transitions, as part of sustainable career development, by greening economies and supporting access to decent work for all.

This article focuses on the occupational emancipation of women in Finland and examines the professional careers of women who graduated with a matriculation examination from three upper secondary girls' schools during the period of the 1890s to the 1910s. One of the schools was for Finnish-speaking girls, and two of the schools were for Swedish-speaking girls. This article asks what kinds of educational paths and professional careers these upper secondary girls' school graduates had during their lives after graduation. Attention is paid to both the typical professional careers and to those careers that could be characterised as exceptional and atypical. The source material consists of student registers that offered an opportunity to create a prosopography (i.e. set biography). In this article, the prosopography and individual biographies of women with exceptional careers shed light on the horizon of possibilities for Finnish women at the end of the nineteenth century and in the early twentieth century, specifically, their horizon of possibilities to gain education and degrees, as well as posts in the labour market.

Advances in online geospatial technologies (GST) have expanded access to K-12 classrooms which has implications for the support teachers require to effectively integrate GSTs to promote learning. Previous studies have shown the impact of GST-integrated lessons on student engagement, spatial thinking skills, and/or content knowledge; however, most of these studies have been small in scope and scale and frequently focus on the affordances of the technology, without addressing the context of the implementation and student characteristics for whom GST is most impactful. We attempt to address some of these gaps. Our program scaled an effective GST-focused professional learning and development program to a national audience through a facilitator development model. This paper explores the student characteristics and lesson factors that resulted in student interest in science and technology and careers in those fields. After teaching a Geospatial Inquiry lesson created during a teacher workshop, teachers (n = 82) submitted the lessons and surveys on the implementation of Geospatial Inquiry lessons. The implementation surveys and lessons were scored for alignment to the principles of high-quality Geospatial Inquiry. Students (n = 1924) completed a post-lesson retrospective survey and indicated the extent to which their perceptions and attitudes toward science and technology changed because of the lesson. Results indicate that teacher GST performance is associated with increases in student outcomes. Students with previous exposure to science activities were more likely to have increased interest and excitement in science and careers in science but decreased interest in technology careers. Students who had previous exposure to technology activities had increased interest and excitement in technology and careers in technology but decreased interest in science careers. Geospatial Inquiry lessons also had a significant impact on students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. After participating in the lessons, students who identify as female reported higher engagement and interest in science and higher interest in science careers. Students who identified as Black or Hispanic also reported higher interest and excitement in science and technology, and students who identified as Black reported marginally higher interest in science careers.

This study explored the relationship between middle school students' mathematics- and science-related motivational dispositions and their attitudes toward STEM-related careers. To better understand these constructs, we regressed motivational variables from the Situated Expectancy-Value Framework (Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. 2020. From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: A developmental, social cognitive, and sociocultural perspective on motivation. "Contemporary Educational Psychology," 61, 101859), on attitudes toward STEM careers by gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Findings showed that, among the five motivational disposition variables (i.e. self-efficacy, identity, enjoyment, utility value, and cost), utility value was the strongest predictor of STEM career attitudes and science-related motivational dispositions explained the variation in STEM career attitudes more than mathematics-related motivational dispositions. We also found changes in the strength of the relationship between students' motivational dispositions and STEM career attitudes by gender, race, and age. Finally, we reported an indirect effect of self-efficacy on STEM career attitudes mediated by identity, interest, utility value, and cost, a finding that may explain the perplexing results by prior research that contradicts some current theories of self-efficacy and career motivation.

An explanation for the underrepresentation of women in mathematical fields is the communal goal congruity perspective; that women tend to value communal over agentic goals, perceived to not be afforded by mathematical careers. Less is known about how agentic and communal goals may interact to influence mathematical career trajectories. Analysing a longitudinal dataset, we examined gender differences and combinations of agentic and communal goals, and how goal groups associated with trajectories from adolescent aspirations until actual careers. Among 279 participants followed from secondary school until approximately 20 years later, women valued communal goals higher than men but agentic goals similarly. Despite similar mathematical achievement, the low agentic/high communal goal group was the only group to decline in their choice of a mathematics-related career. There were more women in this group than men, concordant with the communal goal congruity perspective. Implications for future research and educational practice are discussed.

Efforts to build the workforce in support of the second quantum revolution are growing, including the creation of education programs that will prepare students for jobs in this area. We surveyed 186 undergraduate students with majors across the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines and followed up with group interviews to understand their perspectives. The project was designed to understand what these STEM students know about quantum and quantum career opportunities and their level of interest in pursuing a career related to quantum. We found that most of the students know very little about quantum. Nevertheless, except for students in the life sciences, there was an interest in quantum careers. Across STEM majors, women were less likely to express interest in quantum careers than men, but this difference disappeared when we examined only physical and computer science majors. Of the few students who had knowledge of quantum concepts, most learned about this topic from online media, especially online videos. Some students reported learning about quantum in high school classes, where it was taught as an extension beyond the usual topics of the course. The undergraduate STEM students in our study identified multiple ways they would like to learn more about quantum, including short videos, seminars, courses, certificates, and degree programs.

Academia, in its quest to attract and hire qualified faculty, can capitalize on recent trends as reflected in career trajectories. One such trend includes practicing professionals, who make the decision to engage in a career pivot from industry into academia. Two recent shifts in academia highlight the importance of attracting practicing professionals into higher education: faculty shortages and the demand for more experiential learning in programs. To understand why practicing professionals might engage in a career pivot from industry into academia, research was conducted through a survey with recruitment for respondents taking place within a leading online university, an on-ground state university, a community college, and a LinkedIn group focused on education. By concentrating on the reasons why professionals pivot into academia, institutions of higher education can restructure their recruitment strategies to more effectively target professionals to create a bigger source pool that should lead to a more successful search and, ultimately, filling the faculty position.

This phenomenological study seeks to explore the experiences of Vietnamese English-major graduates as they transition into out-of-expertise job roles in a globalized work environment. Drawing from a qualitative dataset gathered from 67 participants through semi-structured interviews, the research aimed to understand the perceived benefits, challenges, and emotional trajectories associated with such transitions. Key findings indicate that the majority of participants perceived their English proficiency as a significant advantage in diverse job markets. However, they also highlighted cultural challenges when adapting to global work settings, emphasizing the need to understand nuanced cultural norms beyond language proficiency. A recurrent theme was the perceived gap between the rich theoretical knowledge acquired during their academic tenure and its practical applicability in real-world job scenarios. Interestingly, participants also illuminated the unexpected interdisciplinary benefits of their English-major background, suggesting that their studies equipped them with valuable critical thinking and analytical skills. Issues of professional identity emerged strongly, with many participants expressing challenges in aligning their academic label with diverse job roles. Furthermore, the study highlights the profound emotional journey, from initial doubts to building resilience, as a significant aspect of these professional transitions.

Industry has coped with a consistent pace of employee attrition for over a decade with employee loss and labor turnover increasing with the global pandemic of 2020. As all sectors experience workforce attrition termed the "Great Resignation", industry is pressed to fill these gaps and seek career-ready students as new hires. One institution of higher education worked closely with an Industry Advisory Council (IAC) to address the academia-to-industry skills gaps using Curriculum-to-Careers (C-to-C) programmatic mapping that synthesized both foundational curricular content knowledge and employer-sought skills. Mapping involved development of program student learning outcomes (PSLOs) and course student learning outcomes (CSLOs) that were aligned with career skills. Preliminary implementation of the C-to-C programmatic mapping yielded components that allowed the deconstruction of every course in the program. Traditional knowledge in the scholarly community was integrated with practitioner knowledge in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce and deployed in the revised classroom instructional practices. Using the industry perspective and guided by the developed philosophical instructional framework, the curriculum was deconstructed at both the course and program levels to synthesize a programmatic map the informed program development to close the skills gap by uniting academia and industry.

Mathematical problem posing, or authoring mathematical tasks, can allow students to integrate their interests and experiences into the classroom. Little research has explored different designs for scaffolding or facets of posed problem quality, particularly when problem posing is based on students' interests. We created an environment that enabled 39 community college students to author algebra problems related to their career interests, and explore four problem-posing scaffolds - video, vignette, example problem, and template. We use a design-based research approach to examine affordances of career problem-posing. Engaging in problem-posing was associated with increased interest in learning mathematics. Use and time spent with scaffolds and time-on-task were related to quality of posed problems, and problem quality features were related to students' ability to solve problems they posed. Text analyses revealed scaffold use was associated with the language students used in the problems they posed. Implications for problem posing in mathematics classrooms are discussed.

Purpose: This phenomenological study, conducted within the discourse on the underrepresentation of women in academia, examined the factors influencing the advancement of women academics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Design/methodology/approach: The sample comprised twenty-one women academics from both public and private universities in Peru. Data were collected through in-depth interviews based on the women's experiences and subsequently processed using Moustakas' (1994) stages for encoding, categorization, and analysis. Findings: The study introduces a conceptual framework of nine factors - personal tastes and preferences, attitudes towards science as a vocation, care work, work-life balance, congruent gender roles, occupational segregation, lack of opportunities, low salaries, and lack of gender equality policies - that impact the career progression of women in STEM fields. Originality/value: The results offer valuable insights for policymakers and academic authorities to address the barriers affecting women academics in STEM. The uniqueness of this paper lies in its investigation in Peru, a country with the highest female labor force participation in Latin America, where women constitute the majority of undergraduate program graduates.

Increasing the health care work force is critical to underserved communities. Unfortunately, students in these areas lack accessibility to the clinical experiences needed to get an introductory understanding of careers in health care. Therefore, a health care experience (HCE) course was created for undergraduate students that included didactic training, active learning exercises, and coordinated shadowing experiences. To evaluate the effect of the HCE on student interest in science, health care, and rural health a study was performed on HCE participants. This study assessed student background, interest in health care, and plans for future careers in underserved settings. Students who enrolled in the HCE demonstrated high interest in science, health care, and rural health. Evaluation of student reflections indicated students attained novel learning, gained insights, and recognized the importance of communication. The HCE course students exhibited amplified confidence in HCEs and had a significant increase in understanding of health care compared with a control group of students who had not completed the HCE. Undergraduate institutions can include courses like the HCE into curricula to increase accessibility to career experiences for students interested in health care careers.