21st-century skills as key influencers of middle school students’ STEM career choice

This study explores how middle school students’ perceptions of their 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving, relate to their STEM interests, expectations, self-efficacy, and career intentions. Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the research aims to develop and test a model integrating these constructs to understand what drives students toward STEM pathways. Survey data revealed that students’ self-perceived 21st-century skills are significantly associated with their STEM-related interests, outcome expectations, and self-efficacy. While interests and outcome expectations are positively associated with students’ intentions to pursue STEM careers, self-efficacy is not directly associated with these intentions. Instead, self-efficacy is indirectly associated with STEM career intentions through interest and outcome expectations. These findings suggest that 21st-century skills play an indirect but crucial role in shaping STEM career goals. The study recommends incorporating skill development into STEM education and creating targeted programs to guide students’ career exploration, thereby expanding and diversifying participation in STEM fields from an early stage.