Gifted Students Affinity for Engineering and STEM Majors By: Rachel McFalls

ACTIVITY Prep: Give me a few ideas of jobs you may have wanted to do as a kid other than… doctor, lawyer, teacher, artist, engineer, mechanic, architect, robot

A Cereal Thinker!A Cereal Thinker! We are all middle schoolers in gifted classrooms. What do you want to be/do when you grow up? ●Each person take a cup of cereal. ●Explore the career opportunities (plates). ●Put some cereal down on the plate(s) that interest you. ●Then sit. We’ll come back to our plates later.

Multipotentiality. ‘Regular’ studentGifted student

Maryland Study from

= 29% of students chose engineering 1 = 56.4% of students chose STEM “Science and technology related fields have been the most popular majors throughout the history of the survey.”

...Why? My Hypothesis: 1.We teach it to them… ●Problem Solving Skills. ●Inductive & deductive reasoning. ●Inferential thought. 1.Broad definition of potential work. ●multipotentiality 56.4% of students chose STEM

Problem Solving

#1 Sandbox #2 Man Overboard #3 I Understand #4 Reading between the lines #5 Long Underwear #6 Crossroads #7 Downtown #8 Tricycle #9 Split Level #10 Three degrees below zero #11 Neon Light #12 Circles under the eyes #13 High Chair #14 Paradise #15 Touchdown #16 Six feet underground #17 Mind over matter #18 He’s beside himself #19 Backward Glance #20 Life After Death

Engineering Problem Solving

The Multipotentiality of Engineering

Electrical Industrial Mechanical Software Engineering Majors at MSU Aerospace Biological Chemical Civil Computer Computer Science

Where do engineers work? Hospital Oil field Airport Construction site Submarine Space station School Cube-farm/office Manufacturing Plant Research Lab African villages Capitol Hill … EVERYWHERE!

The STEM Pathway

“Researchers need to understand the factors that attract talented individuals to STEM. Why do talented students gravitate to STEM?” Survey of Science Talent Search (STS) semi & finalists from ‘87-’89 & ‘97-’99.

Factors influencing the young talented to declare/not STEM majors? Ability: SAT-M score was higher than SAT-V Interest: 91.4% of students expressed interest in STS topic as reason for participation Self-Efficacy & Academics: Using statistical analysis, both were found to be indicators of STEM concentrations. Other: interest, intellectual challenge, and talent were indicated by students to have influenced their choice.

Other interesting findings ●Ability: o SAT scores higher in younger students, o 17.4% - Bachelor’s, o 32.3% - Master’s*, o 49.4% Ph.D.* (*=or equivalent) ●Interest: o 74.2% majored in STEM field in college

Specific Application My research: ●Background Factors Affecting Students’ Choice of Engineering Major. My goal: ●Illustrate that special programs like QUEST and MSMS are encouraging STEM careers.

Resources 1.“Survey of College Plans of Maryland High Ability Students”, U.S. Department of Education, Apr Heilbronner, N. (2011).“Stepping onto the STEM pathway: Factors affecting talented students’ declaration of STEM majors in college”, Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 34(6) Chapter 10, Growing Up Gifted, 8th ed.

Gifted Students Affinity for Engineering and STEM Majors By: Rachel McFalls