Despite considerable efforts in recent years to encourage Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) interest and participation among youth, STEM interest during adolescence continues to decline. Recently, researchers, educators, and policymakers have used a learning ecology perspective to better understand the development and persistence of youth interest in STEM topics or activities. This study examined the dynamics of the STEM interest and participation pathways of three youth in an under-resourced, urban community. These three cases offer insights into how youth with a strong interest in a STEM topic or activity perceived the resources that were available to them in a STEM learning ecosystem and highlight the affordances and constraints each faced in pursuit of their interests. We interviewed each youth 4–5 times during their middle school and high school years (ages 11–14). The analysis reinforces the unique nature of youth interest pathways, but also common factors that contributed to each of these pathways. The ability of youth to navigate the ecosystem depended on the availability and accessibility of both in- and out-of-school learning resources related to their interest, and the support they received from significant adults in their lives in terms of both social, cultural, and financial capital. This study offers important insights into how STEM learning ecosystems might best be structured to enable more youth to develop strong, enduring interests in STEM.

中文翻译：

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兴趣和参与途径：对 STEM 感兴趣的青年如何驾驭学习生态系统

尽管近年来为鼓励青年对科学、技术、工程和数学 (STEM) 的兴趣和参与做出了巨大努力，但青春期的 STEM 兴趣继续下降。最近，研究人员、教育工作者和政策制定者使用学习生态学的视角来更好地了解青年对 STEM 主题或活动的兴趣的发展和持续。本研究调查了资源贫乏的城市社区中三名青年的 STEM 兴趣和参与途径的动态。这三个案例提供了对 STEM 主题或活动有浓厚兴趣的青年如何感知 STEM 学习生态系统中可供他们使用的资源的见解，并突出了每个人在追求兴趣时所面临的可供性和限制。我们在每个年轻人的中学和高中时期（11-14 岁）采访了他们 4-5 次。分析强调了青年兴趣途径的独特性，但也强调了促成这些途径中的每一个的共同因素。青年驾驭生态系统的能力取决于与其兴趣相关的校内和校外学习资源的可用性和可访问性，以及他们在生活中从社会、文化、和金融资本。这项研究提供了关于如何最好地构建 STEM 学习生态系统的重要见解，以便让更多的年轻人对 STEM 产生强烈而持久的兴趣。以及促成这些途径的共同因素。青年驾驭生态系统的能力取决于与其兴趣相关的校内和校外学习资源的可用性和可访问性，以及他们在生活中从社会、文化、和金融资本。这项研究提供了关于如何最好地构建 STEM 学习生态系统的重要见解，以便让更多的年轻人对 STEM 产生强烈而持久的兴趣。以及促成这些途径的共同因素。青年驾驭生态系统的能力取决于与其兴趣相关的校内和校外学习资源的可用性和可访问性，以及他们在生活中从社会、文化、和金融资本。这项研究提供了关于如何最好地构建 STEM 学习生态系统的重要见解，以便让更多的年轻人对 STEM 产生强烈而持久的兴趣。