1. Social Cognitive Career Theory Applied to Factors Shaping Black Youth Perceptions of Agricultural and Science, Technological, Engineering, and Mathematical (STEM) Careers
Arogeanae Brown, Hannah Scherer, Ph.D
Department of Agriculture Leadership and Community Education • Blacksburg, Virginia
Increasing Global Populations Demands an Increase For Agricultural Production
Social Cognitive Career Theory Model (SCCT) is Advanced to Address A Diverse Population, Black Youth
America strives to increase its competitiveness in STEM (U.S. Department of Education, 2016)
Blacks are underrepresented in the industry of agriculture and its related sciences (Brown & Segrist, 2016)
Resulting in the missing skillsets and knowledge they bring to the disciplines
Personal inputs and background factors are described as influences of Black youth perceptions towards pursuing agricultural related careers
Personal Inputs
Predispositions
Gender
Race/Ethnicity
Disability
Health Status
Contextual Influences
Proximal to Choice Behavior
Self-Efficacy
Outcomes
Learning Experiences
Interest
Goals
Actions
Objectives
Background Contextual
Affordances Historical Context
Outcome Expectations
The two objectives of this study were to:
Personal Inputs and Background Contextual Affordances
Career Interest, Goals, Actions
(2) Consider how these experiences shape and influence the perceptions African American youth have of agricultural and its related scientific careers
Figure 1. Integrative model of interest, satisfaction and choice stability. Modified from Lent, Brown, & Hackett (1994).
(1) Explore the historical experiences and narratives of the African American experience in agriculture and related sciences
SCCT (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2000) highlights the manner in which various contextual factors (e.g., gender, socio-economic status, and racial–ethnic background) may enhance or serve as a barrier to one’s career development.
Historical and Current Factors are Analyzed to Supply Recommendations Specifically for Black Youth Learning Experiences
Recommendations for Black Youth Learning Experiences are Made to Build Their Self-Efficacy and Expected Outcomes
Background contextual affordances considered within a historical frame around slavery and discrimination in agricultural and scientific industries help explain the challenges specific to the population of Black youth.
Findings: Experiences and Narratives of African Americans
Historical Data
Current Data
Recommendations for Black Youth Learning Experiences
Discrimination
Lack of representation
Lack of agricultural and STEM education
Scholarships in agricultural and STEM
Slavery and Sharecropping
Jim Crow laws
Scientific experiments
Desegregation
African American
Scientist
Agronomist contributions
Provide mentorship to influence Black youth interest in STEM careers (Outley, 2008)
Investigate
learning spaces that engages Black youth
Racial demographics of preexisting program’s staff
Address and Reframe
Black’s historical contributions to agriculture and the sciences
Agriculture and STEM careers
References
Findings: Current Situation
Brown, D. L., & Segrist, D. (2016). African American career aspirations: examining the relative influence of internalized racism. Journal of Career Development, 43(2), 177–189.
Hurt, R. D. (2011). African American life in the rural South, Columbia: University of Missouri Press.
Martin, D. B. (2012). Learning mathematics while Black. The Journal of Educational Foundations, 26(1–2), 47–66.
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45,
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (2000). Contextual supports and barriers to career choice: A social cognitive analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47, 36–49.
Outley, C. W. (2008). Perceptions of Agriculture and Natural Resource Careers Among Minority Students in a National Organization. Recreation
Visitor Research: Studies of Diversity, 139–153.
Townsend, L. (1994). How universities successfully retain and graduate black students. Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 4,
U. S. Department of Education. (2016). Science, technology, engineering and math: education for global leadership website.
Structural inequalities in the education
Black students aren’t prepared to pursue math and science (Martin, 2012)
South’s indebtedness and racist culture hindered Black’s success (Hurt, 2011)
Racial inclined history dominates youth perceptions of agricultural careers (Outley, 2008)
Lack of mentorship and a sense of belonging in agriculture and STEM (Townsend, 1994)