STEM Vocational Interest Among Rural Students: Variations by Marginalization Level

Abstract

The observed gap between the international need for specialized human capital in scientific and technological disciplines and the decline in university enrollment in these areas has raised concerns about the economic future of regions related to knowledge production. The objective of this research is to determine the differences perceived by high school students living in localities with varying degrees of marginalization, among the variables: Family Support, Teacher Support, Peer Support, Expectations, and Self-efficacy in relation to Interest in STEM careers. A quantitative, correlational, and explanatory study is presented, with a sample of 828 students from 13 rural high school institutions. Through statistical tests of linear regression, bivariate correlation, and Student's t-test, it was shown that the model and its variables explain 50% of the interest in university degrees in STEM and revealed some interesting differences between population groups living in different conditions of marginalization. The importance of family support and the perception of self-efficacy in both populations was identified, as well as the influence of teachers, mainly on students living in localities with a High Level of Marginalization. Likewise, differences were observed in the significance of career expectations, being higher for those with a Lower Level of Marginalization.