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- Title
The Association Between Mentoring and STEM Engagement for Blind Adults.
- Authors
Silverman, Arielle Michal; Bell, Edward C.
- Abstract
This retrospective study aimed to assess the links between early mentoring experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and long-term STEM engagement for legally blind adults. During the fall of 2018, we administered an online survey to 170 adults who self-identified as blind or visually impaired. The participants reported whether or not they had a significant STEM mentor during their youth, their past interest in STEM careers, and their current career interest and activities. Just under half of the sample (45%) identified a specific person who served as a mentor or role model for STEM learning. Results suggest that participants who identified a STEM mentor reported higher levels of interest in STEM careers throughout their lives. These participants were also twice as likely as participants without a STEM mentor to currently have a STEM-related job. Implications for practitioners and researchers point towards increasing access to mentoring opportunities and cultivating networking opportunities for blind youth.
- Subjects
ROLE models; MENTORING; ADULTS; PEOPLE with visual disabilities; MENTORS
- Publication
Journal of Blindness Innovation & Research, 2020, Vol 10, Issue 2, pN.PAG
- ISSN
2155-2894
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5241/10-197