Project Profile

The ITEST Learning Resource Center at EDC hosted a convening designed to develop a theoretical framework to guide future research on youth motivation in STEM with a particular emphasis on populations most underrepresented in STEM. Two guiding questions were be the focus of the event: What is currently known about motivation in STEM for underrepresented youth? What can be done to cultivate new research around STEM motivation for underrepresented youth? The primary target audience for the convening included sociologists, psychologists, and researchers in STEM motivation and career development research, and members of the ITEST community including principal investigators, evaluators, program directors, and youth participants. Secondary audiences included STEM program developers and practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders that are building the STEM workforce. A final report from the convening is available for download.

Together, the convening and related project activities are intended to:

• Generate a theoretical research framework and methodologies most appropriate for exploring youth motivation in STEM and related assessment issues
• Foster new working relationships among participants to spark new research opportunities
• Engage the ITEST community in identifying central elements of their programs that foster effective STEM motivation, career discovery, and exploration
• Map the existing data on the intensity, nature, and rigor of ITEST project impact as it relates to youth motivation in STEM.
• Inform researchers of the needs of the ITEST community as they endeavor to advance understanding of the factors that affect youth motivation in STEM