Interest and motivation to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields depend on many factors. These include feeling a sense of belongingness in one’s chosen field as well as beliefs that one’s own abilities fit the demands of the field. We examined belongingness and field-specific ability beliefs in a small sample of undergraduates supported by an NSF Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) program. In addition to financial support, this program allowed the implementation of collegiate experiences within STEM designed to enhance motivation and persistence, including early mentored research or internship experiences, a small seminar focused on succeeding as a STEM major, and additional cohort-building events. Using a modified belongingness scale and a modified measure of the Field Specific Abilities Belief scale, we surveyed supported students at intake (prior to the beginning of college) and again after nearly two years in the S-STEM program. Small sample size disallows parametric statistical analyses; descriptively, belief that innate intellectual talent is required to succeed in a chosen field dropped after two years (M_intake = 2.96, M_{two year} = 2.66, scale range 1-7), a decrease that would be predicted to improve interest and motivation. In contrast, a sense of belonginess also dropped (M_intake = 5.63, M _{two year} = 5.37, scale range 1-7), which is predicted to decrease interest and motivation. We will also present highlights from qualitative interviews with scholars underscoring the themes of success and belongingness. Future directions include tracking the persistence and success of the relevant students, completing data collection with a second cohort of scholars, and assessing whether belongingness vs. success beliefs better predict persistence and success within the student’s STEM coursework.

Joan Esson

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