Purpose
To build understanding about the STEM Initiative’s progress the authors are conducting a formative evaluation, annually reporting findings to the foundation and grant staff. A main goal of the initiative is improvement of 4-12th grade student attitudes toward STEM, especially among females and students from other underrepresented populations. To measure changes in student attitudes, the authors developed a “Student Attitudes toward STEM (S-STEM) Survey” (see Appendix). A few existing surveys measured attitudinal dimensions, but none gathered this data across all STEM subjects (Minner, Ericson, Wu, & Martinez, 2012). The S-STEM Survey consists of three constructs measuring student attitudes toward STEM subjects, specifically composed of items measuring self-efficacy and career interest. A fourth survey section measures student interest in twelve STEM career areas. This paper reports on gender differences found in the evaluation’s Year Two S-STEM Survey results.