Measurement of student STEM identity: A systematic literature review

STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) identity is an important outcome of STEM education and an effective means for developing a STEM-engaged public and workforce. While most identity research has been qualitative, there is a growing desire to study student identity, in context, through quantitative measures. Our understanding of and ability to cultivate students’ STEM identity is reliant upon robust measures. This systematic literature review of 153 peer-reviewed quantitative and mixed-methods studies that measure student (i.e., elementary school-aged children to adult learners) STEM identity examined study characteristics, theoretical frameworks, STEM identity components, and psychometric quality evidence. Findings revealed a predominance of measures from the United States and Western countries; samples of students who are mostly white, male, and in college; studies measuring science identity; a vast array of measurement instrument sources, theoretical frameworks, and identity constructs and components; and reliability and validity limitations. Future directions entail more inclusive, international sampling; explicit discussion of measurement instrument sources, theories, and component definitions; gathering of multiple forms of reliability, validity, and fairness evidence; and leveraging network analysis in systematic literature review methodologies. Implications include developing and validating ontologies and asset-based STEM identity measures to understand and cultivate continuous STEM identity trajectories.