Rural Appalachian High School Students' College-Going and STEMM Perceptions.

The authors examined perceptions of key social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) variables related to college-going and science, technology, engineering, math, and medical (STEMM) careers in 10th and 11th graders (N = 892) attending 3 rural Appalachian high schools. The authors examined differences in perceptions related to gender, prospective 1st-generation college student status, and the presence or absence of aspirations to pursue a STEMM career. Young women and young men scored similarly on all but 1 dependent variable, college-going self-efficacy (young women scored higher). Students who had STEMM career aspirations had higher scores on every measure than those who did not. Results suggest examining a 3rd prospective 1st-generation college student status group-students who are unsure of their parents' education level-as a distinct group in future research. By examining the college-going and STEMM attitudes of rural Appalachian high school students, this study advances the literature and informs practitioners on reducing educational and vocational inequalities in this region.