Social Support and the Mediating Role of Cognitive Appraisal in Interest in Engineering Programs: A STEM approach.

Abstract

Vocational decisions regarding STEM professions are shaped by a complex interaction between personal and external factors. In Mexico, engineering education constitutes a strategic sector of higher education. The objective of this study was to determine how social support from female figures, such as mothers and teachers, along with that from male figures, such as fathers and teachers, combined with the institutional and community context, directly and indirectly influences, through the cognitive evaluation of upper secondary school students' perceived abilities, their interest in pursuing STEM programs, particularly in the field of engineering. The research is quantitative and employs a non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational-explanatory design. From a database of 3,030 students, those interested in engineering programs were selected, resulting in a sample of 595 upper secondary school students. The results show evidence that social support from female figures, specifically mothers and teachers, has the strongest direct and positive relationship with interest in studying engineering. Women reported higher levels of perceived social support at all levels compared to men, suggesting they require a more active support network. It is concluded that social support not only directly motivates but also establishes an essential mediating function in the student's cognitive evaluation of their interest in an engineering program.