Predictors of pursuit of a college science education among high achieving minority 10th graders

Background: Minority populations are underrepresented in health science fields, perhaps hampering national efforts to address health disparities between minorities and Whites. Informed by recent studies using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study examines whether self-efficacy, perceived adult support, and perceived barriers are associated with a plan to pursue college science education. Prior SCCT applications suggest that self-efficacy is a particularly strong predictor of career plans among youth. Methods: A paper-and-pencil survey was administered to 134 10th graders in an underserved community to assess predisposing factors regarding pursuit of a health science career. The sample had greater than a B- average; and was predominantly female (70.1%) and African American (67.2%). Hierarchical linear regression was used to determine whether the three independent variables predicted pursuit of college health science education controlling for varied demographic variables. Results: Although all hypothesized predictors were bivariate correlates of pursuit of college health science education, only perceived adult support remained a significant predictor in a multivariate model including all independent and demographic variables. The model accounted for 34% of the outcome's variance. Conclusions: Perceived adult support may be a particularly influential construct associated with pursuit of college health science among high-achieving, disadvantaged 10th graders. As such youth may be early in their understanding of career options, they may be looking to supportive adults for guidance. These results build on SCCT research and provide further insight into youth decision-making regarding pursuit of health science.