Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Stem Heroes: A Narrative-Based Intervention To Increase Self-Efficacy And Interest In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics In Elementary School-Aged Children, Lauren M. Carino

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Over time, researchers have struggled to identify effective interventions to support girls’ self-efficacy and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether a theoretically-grounded narrative-based intervention would be able to increase elementary school-aged girls’ self-efficacy in respect to future careers and interest in STEM subjects in school. The study sought to do this by using the stories of the “Heroes of STEM”, a series of four graphic novels developed by the principal researcher, as an intervention tool linking girls’ typically preferred subject (i.e., reading, language arts) to math and science. …