Increasing interest towards engineering in the context of Nordic STEM outreach activities

While the demand for employment in engineering is growing, most Nordic countries are struggling to attract enough adolescents to study Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Previous studies have identified outreach activities as an essential tool for sharing information about STEM education, but their effectiveness in motivating adolescents to apply for engineering education is difficult to measure. To counteract the decline in recruits, universities are looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of their STEM outreach activities. This study examines how different university-led STEM outreach activities are designed to support adolescents’ interest development in STEM subjects. The data is based on semi-structured interviews with the organisers of 10 Nordic outreach activities, ranging from one-day events to nationwide umbrella organisations involving universities. The resulting 100 descriptions of supporting interest development in STEM subjects are analysed using content analysis. The findings identify common practices for supporting interest development in STEM subjects by supporting relatedness, strengthening competence, promoting autonomy, raising awareness, and building knowledge in STEM. The present study reveals the significance of applying both affective-emotional and cognitive-rational practices to create engaging outreach experiences that motivate participants to study engineering.