Abstract:

Human resources must be highly adept across multiple spheres to ensure nation’s sustainability. The last decades have been driven by the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) based industries, especially in the booming reliance of humans towards technology. However, there is a significant disparity in the number of STEM jobs and the generation of STEM college graduates. Despite the colossal investments in the education sector for efficient outcomes, there is a deficiency of STEM laborers in the local market of the Arab world, thereby enforcing the outsourcing of skilled workforce. This led to the launch of a survey-based study to examine undergraduate students' perceptions, identify the causal factors of persistence in STEM disciplines, and develop a favorable ecosystem to nurture the upcoming generation with an inclination towards STEM disciplines. Diverse statistical tests were implemented to quantitatively gauge the factors and predictors which affect students’ career-based interests. Findings indicated that informal learning activities are causal in aspects like individual interests, research interests, social supports, and academic influence in developing STEM participation and career aspirations. These inferences present principal implications for educational researchers and decision-makers to devise beneficial reforms to augment undergraduate students’ STEM interests, thereby improving their persistence in STEM.

Keywords:

STEM Education, Informal learning,