Social-Cognitive Career Theory predictors of STEM career interests and goal persistence in minority college students with disabilities: A path analysis

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To test the Social-Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a STEM career interests and goal persistence model for minority college students with disabilities. METHODS: A quantitative descriptive research design using path analysis. Participants included 115 minority college students with disabilities from the Minority Disability Alliance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (MIND Alliance) project. RESULTS: The results indicated that the SCCT causal model fits the data very well, with χ 2/df = 1.15; CFI = 0.99; and RMSEA = 0.04. SCCT constructs accounted for 16% of the variance in STEM career interest and 48% of the variance in STEM goal persistence. CONCLUSION: The SCCT model provides useful guidance for designing postsecondary education interventions for minority students with disabilities in STEM education to help crystalize their career interest and increase goal persistence.