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

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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

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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. Well come back to our plates later.

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Multipotentiality. Regular studentGifted student

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Maryland Study from 1979-1996

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= 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.

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...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

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Problem Solving

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#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 Hes beside himself #19 Backward Glance #20 Life After Death

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Engineering Problem Solving

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The Multipotentiality of Engineering

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

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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!

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The STEM Pathway

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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Resources 1.Survey of College Plans of Maryland High Ability Students, U.S. Department of Education, Apr 97. 1.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) 876-899. 1.Chapter 10, Growing Up Gifted, 8th ed.

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