| The driving force of China’s economic growth is shifting from factor-driven and investment-driven to innovation-driven.This transformation reflects the country’s urgent need for innovative talents.Innovative talents with STEM literacy are a key factor in the country’s scientific and technological strength,innovation strength and core competitiveness,and are also the core capital in the process of innovation-driven development under the new normal of China’s economy.Countries around the world have successively promulgated relevant laws and education policies to promote the development of STEM education,precisely in order to cultivate innovative talents with "the literacy and abilities needed for tomorrow" so that they can successfully cope with the challenges brought about by future technological development and social and economic changes.With the development of social economy and technology,the demand for STEM positions is increasing year by year,and the STEM labor market increasingly needs highquality scientific and technological talents.However,the STEM field in the world is generally faced with varying degrees of shortage of scientific and technological talents.Numerous studies have shown that students’ interest and learning motivation in science and technology are decreasing,and the number of people choosing STEM majors and occupations is also showing a decreasing trend,making the number of STEM talents relative to the demand of the STEM labor market showing a " supply falls short of demand" situation.The young people’s science career aspiration has a certain predictive effect on their future science performance and the type of occupation they are engaged in.Students who have not yet entered the labor market are in a critical period of exposure to science and shaping STEM-related career aspiration.In view of the dynamic relationship between environment-behavior-career aspiration proposed by the career development theory,this dissertation focuses on the environmental factors that affect students’ STEM career aspiration,and carries out an empirical study on 9th grade basic education graduates of some middle schools in Shanghai in 2020.(1)Based on the existing research results,it explains the specific connotation of students’ STEM career aspiration.According to Social Cognitive Career Theory and Expected Value Theory,and from three research perspectives of sociology,psychology and pedagogy,this paper summarizes the factors that affect students’ STEM career aspiration into two categories: Individual factors and Environmental factors.(2)On the basis of the formulated theoretical framework and referring to mature test scales such as PISA(2015)and DAST,a test questionnaire on "Environmental Factors Affecting Students’ STEM Career Aspiration" was compiled,and the questionnaire was used to conduct empirical investigations.The survey results show that the scale has qualified reliability and validity.(3)The rationality of School-factor,Family-factor and Social-factor is proved through exploratory factor analysis.Then,an extensive investigation was carried out by selecting the 9th grade graduates of basic education in some middle schools in Shanghai in 2020 as the research objects.The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between students’ STEM career aspiration and three main factors,that is,School-factors,Family-factors and Social-factors had a significant positive impact on students’ STEM career aspiration.(4)Based on the results of the quantitative analysis and combined with the questionnaire items,this paper puts forward suggestions to improve students’ STEM career aspiration from the aspects of school curriculum,teacher support,peer influence,parents’ attitude and values,and the influence of social media. |
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