Pathways to STEM Careers – Preliminary findings of a Possible Selves Intervention

Riegle-Crumb, King, and Irizarry (2019) indicate that African-American, LatinX, and White college first-year students declare an interest in STEM fields at roughly equivalent rates but African American and Latinx students are less likely to persist in attaining STEM degrees. Oyserman et al. (2011) further contextualize this discrepancy by noting that students might need help in implementing pathways from aspirations to academic outcomes. A multi-year intervention aimed at supporting undergraduate African American and Latinx students in STEM seeks to usher students along pathways towards STEM degrees by encouraging development of a community of practice and engagement in practical, concrete experiences that support proximal subgoals towards a STEM degree. It is thus of interest the degree to which students internalize this demystification towards a STEM career. Using possible selves data, this presentation will report preliminary findings addressing this question - a comparison of pre/post data indicates that students are heavily preoccupied with doing well academically; however, much less focus is devoted to other aspects of the path that has been articulated. Likewise, adult possible selves do not indicate engagement in a STEM career. Practical implications of these findings point to next steps in helping these students see themselves as STEM professionals