Psychology Department, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0348, USA.
J Youth Adolesc. 2013 Jul;42(7):1028-40. doi: 10.1007/s10964-012-9801-8. Epub 2012 Aug 14.
Social cognitive models examining academic and career outcomes emphasize constructs such as attitude, interest, and self-efficacy as key factors affecting students' pursuit of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) courses and careers. The current research examines another under-researched component of social cognitive models: social support, and the relationship between this component and attitude and self-efficacy in math and science. A large cross-sectional design was used gathering data from 1,552 participants in four adolescent school settings from 5th grade to early college (41 % female, 80 % white). Students completed measures of perceived social support from parents, teachers and friends as well as their perceived ability and attitudes toward math and science. Fifth grade and college students reported higher levels of support from teachers and friends when compared to students at other grade levels. In addition, students who perceived greater social support for math and science from parents, teachers, and friends reported better attitudes and had higher perceptions of their abilities in math and science. Lastly, structural equation modeling revealed that social support had both a direct effect on math and science perceived abilities and an indirect effect mediated through math and science attitudes. Findings suggest that students who perceive greater social support for math and science from parents, teachers, and friends have more positive attitudes toward math and science and a higher sense of their own competence in these subjects.
社会认知模型考察学术和职业成果，强调态度、兴趣和自我效能等构念是影响学生选择 STEM（科学、技术、工程和数学）课程和职业的关键因素。当前的研究考察了社会认知模型中另一个研究不足的组成部分：社会支持，以及该组成部分与数学和科学中的态度和自我效能之间的关系。采用了大型横断设计，从四个青少年学校环境中的 1552 名参与者（41%为女性，80%为白人）中收集数据。学生完成了来自父母、教师和朋友的感知社会支持以及他们对数学和科学的感知能力和态度的测量。与其他年级的学生相比，五年级和大学生报告了来自教师和朋友的更高水平的支持。此外，那些感知到父母、教师和朋友对数学和科学有更多支持的学生，对数学和科学的态度更为积极，对自己在数学和科学方面的能力评价也更高。最后，结构方程模型显示，社会支持对数学和科学感知能力既有直接影响，也通过数学和科学态度产生间接影响。研究结果表明，那些感知到父母、教师和朋友对数学和科学有更多支持的学生，对数学和科学的态度更为积极，对自己在这些学科中的能力更有信心。
