engleski

Low-Performing STEM students in Croatian primary schools: The possible gains of JOBSTEM project in improving students STEM performance

The Croatian Science Foundation in 2015 started to found Croatian JOBSTEM research project and this paper will present and discuss important project findings related to low-performing students in STEM area. The project is focused on the STEM problem as a relatively new, emerging and socially very relevant research area in Europe. The main purpose of this study is to present empirical based findings about the major determinants of low students’ performance in STEM subjects. The study has also important aim to present some possible ways in improving student STEM school performance, as we clearly demonstrate strength of some partial and full relations between teacher STEM efficacy and student STEM achievement. The present study therefore will provide empirical based date useful for improving effectiveness of educational system in one important area as a STEM. The study is based on the data collected during JOBSTEM research project, and JOBSTEM is four yearlong research project encompass longitudinal, experimental, and qualitative methodological approaches. The theoretical framework of JOBSTEM project presents existing research of structure and development of self- competence beliefs, vocational interests and career aspirations and the relations of these constructs with school achievement. The JOBSTEM project is based on the theoretical and empirical expectation that in order to understand the STEM problem a shift of focus towards a younger age and the earlier educational period is needed. The central point of the JOBSTEM is the development of students’ self-competence beliefs, their relation with school achievement, and the effect of self- competence beliefs on vocational interests and choices in the STEM area. The JOBSTEM project is based on a longitudinal research design, where a total of 1920 primary school students and their parents/guardians from 16 schools, grouped in three age cohorts, has been followed longitudinally through three measurement waves. During a project, different research constructs related to STEM school achievement, student traits, parental traits, and students STEM professional interest are collected. We used all these constructs in describing low- performing STEM students in Croatian primary schools. In performed data analysis we conducted correlation and regression analysis for initial exploring the relation between variables of interest, and to initially explain how is possible to describe low-performing STEM students with different psychological traits, like IQ, personality traits, self-concept structure, and vocational and professional interest. In addition, with the aim to obtain more dipper understanding, and especially to explore longitudinal trends, and possible causal relations between the constructs we used structural equation modelling (SEM) and in particular the Cross-lagged structural equation models and Latent Growth Curve (LGC) models. Results suggest that low STEM school achievement can be moderately explaining by student’s traits, where of significant importance are students general interest in STEM fields, and students gender. Students who have stereotype-consistent interests in STEM school subjects tend to be more successful and to perform better in school contexts. Male gender and better prior achievement in STEM- related school subjects are positively related to expected future STEM school performance.

low school performance ; STEM achievement ; self-concept of ability in STEM

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