2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Validating Scales to Measure Undergraduate Students’ Interest and Career Aspirations in Geoscience and Sedimentology

Presented at ERM: Professional Formation & Career Aspirations

This full paper in the empirical research paper category presents the validity of scales to measure students’ interest and career aspirations in geoscience and sedimentology (GS). High attrition rates are an ongoing concern in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. Previous research shows that less than 50% of the students enrolled in STEM programs graduate with a degree in their field. Given the crucial role of students’ interest in determining their academic and career choices, learning experiences in STEM fields must be designed to create and sustain students’ interest in the field. This paper presents the design and validation of scales to assess students’ interest and career aspirations in GS. We adapted items from pre-existing instruments on STEM situational interest and career aspirations for use in the context of GS. This study is part of a larger project that comprises the development and evaluation of an educational tool to facilitate teaching sedimentology concepts. The following research question guided the study: How do the observed measures of GS interest and GS career aspirations relate to their respective underlying constructs? We surveyed two undergraduate geology courses at Texas A&M University, an R1, Hispanic-serving institution (HSI) in the southwestern United States. We administered the survey at the beginning (pre-survey) and end of the semester (post-survey) for Spring and Fall semesters of 2024 (N=151). To validate the instrument, as supported by logic and theory, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. The GS interest model demonstrated good fit, confirming the underlying factor structure. However, the GS career aspirations model showed an inadequate fit and was respecified to include a covariance between two items reflecting content applicability and impact on goals. The respecified model showed a good fit for the data. The findings offer empirical support for the validity of the scales within the context of undergraduate geoscience courses. This study establishes a foundation for extending the instrument’s use and refinement in diverse geoscience contexts, ultimately supporting the development of learning experiences that foster and sustain student interest in geoscience.

Authors

Syeda Fizza Ali Texas A&M University [biography]

Syeda Fizza Ali is currently pursuing her PhD in Interdisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M University. She works as a graduate research assistant at the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering, where her work focuses on educational technology tools and student engagement. Her research is shaped by a commitment to broadening participation in engineering and fostering learning environments that prioritize student well-being.
Dr. Anna Stepanova http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5927-6536 Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Anna Stepanova is a researcher at the Sketch Recognition Lab at Texas A&M University. She holds a Ph.D., Master’s and Bachelor’s in geology. Anna’s research interests are in geosciences, micropaleontology and education.
Nancy Elizabeth Martinez Texas A&M University
Sung Je Bang Texas A&M University [biography]

Sung Je Bang is a Ph.D. candidate in Interdisciplinary Engineering at Texas A&M University, within the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering. He serves as a graduate research assistant on multiple projects, where he focuses on user experience and psychological aspects of technology. His research interests include artificial intelligence, large language models, user experience design, and engineering education.
Juan Carlos Laya Texas A&M University
Dr. Carlos Andres Alvarez Zarikian http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3785-3336 Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Alvarez Zarikian is a staff scientist with the Scientific Ocean Drilling Coordination Office at Texas A and M University and adjunct faculty at the Department of Oceanography. He is a marine geologist who specializes in applied micropaleontology to study past oceanographic, environmental and climatological histories.
Dr. Tracy Anne Hammond http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-7272-0507 Texas A&M University [biography]

Dr. Hammond is Director of the Texas A&M University Institute for Engineering Education & Innovation and also the chair of the Engineering Education Faculty. She is also Director of the Sketch Recognition Lab and Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering. She is a member of the Center for Population and Aging, the Center for Remote Health Technologies & Systems as well as the Institute for Data Science. Hammond is a PI for over 13 million in funded research, from NSF, DARPA, Google, Microsoft, and others. Hammond holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and FTO (Finance Technology Option) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and four degrees from Columbia University: an M.S in Anthropology, an M.S. in Computer Science, a B.A. in Mathematics, and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Physics. Hammond advised 17 UG theses, 29 MS theses, and 10 Ph.D. dissertations. Hammond is the 2020 recipient of the TEES Faculty Fellows Award and the 2011 recipient of the Charles H. Barclay, Jr. '45 Faculty Fellow Award. Hammond has been featured on the Discovery Channel and other news sources. Hammond is dedicated to diversity and equity, which is reflected in her publications, research, teaching, service, and mentoring. More at http://srl.tamu.edu and http://ieei.tamu.edu.
Dr. Saira Anwar http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-6947-3226 Texas A&M University [biography]

Saira Anwar is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering, Texas A and M University, College Station. She received her Ph.D. in Engineering Education from the School of Engineering Education, Purdue University, USA. The Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, and industry sponsors fund her research. Her research potential and the implication of her work are recognized through national and international awards, including the 2023 NSTA/NARST Research Worth Reading award for her publication in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2023 New Faculty Fellow award by IEEE ASEE Frontiers in Education Conference, 2022 Apprentice Faculty Grant award by the ERM Division, ASEE, and 2020 outstanding researcher award by the School of Engineering Education, Purdue University. Dr. Anwar has over 20 years of teaching experience at various national and international universities, including the Texas A and M University - USA, University of Florida - USA, and Forman Christian College University - Pakistan. She also received outstanding teacher awards in 2013 and 2006. Also, she received the "President of Pakistan Merit and Talent Scholarship" for her undergraduate studies.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

« View session

For those interested in:

undergraduate