Factors Predicting the Extent to which STEM Students Value Cross-Disciplinary Skills: A Study across Four Institutions

Expectancy-value theory of motivation (EVT) suggests that student values influence their likelihood of putting in the effort required to learn, and these values can be shaped by student characteristics, such as their experiences, sociodemographics, and disciplinary norms. To understand the extent to which these characteristics relate to students’ values, we surveyed 1162 graduating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students across four universities using the previously developed and validated Survey of Teaching Beliefs and Practices for Undergraduates (STEP-U). The STEP-U survey included Likert questions to capture students’ values of 27 cross-disciplinary skills and the frequency with which they experienced 27 instructional methods thought to develop particular skills. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) showed an understandable factor structure for both students’ perceived value of cross-disciplinary skills and frequency of classroom experiences. Using multiple regression, we identified differences in values that were associated with classroom experiences, STEM discipline, participation in undergraduate research, and student sociodemographics. Findings were generalizable across institutions and disciplines. The theoretical framework (EVT), the broad data collection (four institutions with multiple disciplines), and the type of data analyses (e.g., EFA) used provide theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions and suggest additional directions for future research.