Dive Brief:
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Some 75% of Gen Z youth between the ages of 12 to 26 reported interest in at least one type of science, technology, engineering and math career, according to a recent Gallup and Walton Family Foundation report. However, the poll found only 29% want to pursue specific STEM-related jobs in the future.
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A majority — 81% — of Gen Z middle and high school students said their classes taught them how math and science can be used in the real world, but far fewer of these students have engaged in hands-on STEM activities. For instance, 42% said they used technology like coding programs or robots in school.
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Exposure to STEM content in schools may be driving Gen Zers to pursue a career in the field, the study added. When introduced to four or five technology-related topics in classrooms, students are 2.6 times more likely to consider a future STEM job, 2.2 times more likely to declare themselves a STEM major in college, and 5.3 times more likely to be employed in a STEM career.
Dive Insight:
The Gallup and Walton Family Foundation poll looks to capture Gen Z’s perspective on STEM careers as federal, state and nonprofit investments encouraging young people to enter these fields have ballooned in recent years.
For instance, in December 2022, the White House Office of Science Technology Policy announced a STEMM Equity and Excellence initiative aimed at expanding educational opportunities and resources in these fields. The initiative included a particular focus on expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups, including people of color, rural communities, women, those with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community. The additional “M” in “STEMM” represents medicine.
“Our Nation depends on a diverse, skilled STEM workforce that is ready to take on the challenges of the 21st century, from growing US leadership in space exploration to tackling the climate crisis,” said Vice President Kamala Harris in a previous statement on the initiative.
Meanwhile, the nonprofit Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced in 2022 that it would dedicate $1.1 billion in grants over the next four years toward deepened math instruction, pivoting away from English language arts and other subjects.
Despite the ongoing push for young people to consider STEM jobs, the Gallup and Walton Family Foundation poll indicates interest among Gen Z youth isn’t fully there. The report also raises concerns that not enough Gen Zers are learning core concepts in STEM from their coursework.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic set students back in math in the U.S. and globally, according to recent results from the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment. The scores show U.S. students’ average math performance declined by 13 points compared to before the pandemic, and by 18 points from when the math assessment first rolled out in 2003. Even so, the U.S. struggled less in the subject compared to other industrialized nations.
Following the release of the PISA testing data, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona called on local education leaders to embrace a “math revolution.” That includes using proven strategies to accelerate outcomes, building state and local partnerships, zeroing in on core instruction and supporting the education workforce, according to Cardona.
The Gallup and Walton Family Foundation poll surveyed 2,006 12- to 26-year-olds nationally in September.
