Instruments

The Student Interest in Science, Technology and Geospatial Technology (STEM-GEO) instrument is valid and reliable instrument designed to measure secondary students’ STEM-related learning interest, interest in using technology to learn science, STEM-related career interests, and attitudes about geospatial technology.  The instrument underwent a validation process with experts in the STEM education and the geospatial technology teaching and learning field.  Further, to ensure that the items were comprehensible for English language learners, the items were reviewed by an educator with expertise with teaching English learners.  During the two-year study, the survey measures were optimized using both classical analyses and item response theory through iterative prototype testing and pilot testing with secondary students from a population that have been historically marginalized with access to STEM-related career fields. The STEM-GEO measure includes 24 Likert items.  The measure had high internal consistency reliabilities (Cronbach’s alpha) as well as acceptable Rasch reliabilities.