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Self-efficacy

Project SCORE: youth research and STEM self-efficacy

Barnard M, Johnson T, Ford-Wade A, et al. · Education sciences · 2026

Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC

A Mississippi youth participatory action and near-peer mentoring pipeline was feasible and well liked, with modest non-significant gains in STEM self-efficacy and career interest.

Key findings

109 teens enrolled from 2021–2025. Completers attended well; pre–post differences were not statistically significant, though trends favored STEM self-efficacy, STEM career interest, and public-health communication, with a small health-literacy decrease. Satisfaction and belonging were strong; summer camp respondents were highly positive.

Methodology

Project SCORE engaged high-school teens through community partners in youth participatory action research with near-peer mentors, collecting pre/post surveys on STEM self-efficacy, career interest, health literacy, belonging, and program satisfaction across academic-year and summer components.

Limitations

It is not a randomized efficacy trial, completion of paired surveys was incomplete, and modest trends cannot establish causal effects of YPAR or mentoring on STEM outcomes.

How this study connects

Role on claims

Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.

  • SupportsSelf-Efficacyconcept

    Digital learning experiences and training contexts are studied as correlates of ICT or teaching-related self-efficacy and related engagement outcomes.

    Evidence for the claim as stated.

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