Linking peer context to engineering choice intentions: serial mediation evidence from Ethiopia

The literature on STEM education and career choice demonstrates multiple gaps, including the underrepresentation of the targeted population, limited attention to peer influence, inadequate cross-cultural evidence, the need to validate theoretical models across different socioeconomic and cultural contexts, and the growing demand for context-specific evidence to inform interventions addressing youths’ low preference for STEM fields. To address these concerns, this study examined the direct and mediated relationships between peer context and engineering choice intentions among 487 randomly selected 12th-grade Ethiopian students. Structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood showed: (a) an excellent model-data fit, explaining a significant amount of variance in the outcome variable; (b) direct, partially mediated (via outcome expectations), and fully mediated (via self-efficacy) links of peer engineering socialization to engineering choice intentions; and (c) serial mediation effects through pathways where peer socialization enhances self-efficacy and outcome expectations, subsequently increasing interests, and ultimately shaping engineering choice intentions. The study demonstrated that peer context is a crucial factor in shaping students’ choice intentions. Further research directions and practical implications to foster engineering interests and choice intentions are discussed.