Date of Conferral

8-6-2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Ioan Ionas

Abstract

The problem addressed in this study is the persistently low enrollment of female undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors within U.S. universities. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between female undergraduate students' choice of STEM versus non-STEM majors and their motivational factors, as measured by the Motivations Influencing Course Choice (MICC) survey. The study was grounded in social cognitive career theory, which emphasizes the role of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals in academic decision-making. The analysis assessed the predictive power of career aspiration, interest, helping, and loafing in determining major selection. Using a binary logistic regression design, data were collected from 193 participants through the MICC survey. Results showed that only career aspiration was a significant positive predictor of choosing a STEM major, while interest, helping, and loafing were not statistically significant. These findings support the development of targeted interventions to increase female representation in STEM by informing educators, academic advisors, and policymakers of the most influential motivational factors. Promoting motivation-based strategies may help advance educational equity and contribute to positive social change by fostering a more diverse and inclusive STEM workforce.

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