MODELING THE FACTORS INFLUENCING SECONDARY STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN STEM SUBJECTS

• Published in: Journal of Baltic science education Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 518 - 535
• Main Authors: Mansour, Nasser, Cevik, Mustafa, Yağci, Ali, Alotaibi, Sarah Bader Mohsen, EL-Deghaidy, Heba
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Šiauliai Scientia Socialis, Ltd 01.01.2024; Scientia Socialis, UAB; Scientia Socialis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Class Activities; Class Size; Education; Educational Quality; High School Students; Individual Characteristics; Institutional Characteristics; Learning Activities; Mathematics education; Organic Chemistry; Questionnaires; Schools; Science education; Social Sciences; STEM education; Student Characteristics; Students; Teacher Effectiveness; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Technology education; STEM subjects; STEM achievement; secondary students; structural equation modeling
• ISSN: 1648-3898; 2538-7138
• DOI: 10.33225/JBSE/24.23.518

STEM education plays a key role in influencing and orienting students' interests towards STEM fields and careers. This influence is multifaceted, involving not only STEM content and experiences but also teachers, schools, and personal factors. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors impacting the academic performance of 951 tenth grade students in STEM subjects (physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and information technologies) who are attending public and private schools in two provinces of Turkey. Using a correlational research model, the study assessed how students' personal characteristics, teacher effectiveness and school characteristics affect achievement in STEM courses. Data were collected using the ‘Factors Affecting STEM Achievement Questionnaire (FA-STEM-A)’, a 20-item questionnaire divided into three sub-dimensions. Analyses focused on the relationships between student characteristics, teaching quality, school infrastructure and STEM performance. Structural equation modelling revealed that positive student characteristics, especially fondness for STEM subjects and confidence in STEM abilities, moderately increase achievement. In contrast, negative factors attributed to teachers and schools, such as inadequate classroom activities, lack of educator expertise, inadequate technological resources, and large class sizes, hindered student performance. These findings emphasize the important influence of both inherent student qualities and external educational conditions in determining STEM education.