Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

0000-0003-3879-1752

Advisor

Karami, Sareh

Committee Member

Garemani, Mehdi

Committee Member

Gallo, Katarzyna

Committee Member

Wei, Tianlan

Date of Degree

8-12-2026

Original embargo terms

Immediate Worldwide Access

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Major

Educational Psychology (General Educational Psychology)

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Education

Department

Department of Counseling, Higher Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations

Abstract

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have become the focal point of many countries around the world, with the intention of strengthening national renown by being the first to make advancements in STEM domains. The United States has recognized the importance of STEM and STEM education, though these efforts are lacking in rural areas, like Mississippi. These schools often serve underrepresented populations and may be unable to financially support learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom. Additionally, the national teacher shortage disproportionately affects science and mathematics classes; in rural schools, teachers in these areas may be underqualified, as the schools cannot afford to hire and pay qualified teachers. However, research suggests that summer camps may assist in providing students with learning opportunities they otherwise are not afforded. Therefore, the Global Teaching Project began hosting the Advanced STEM Preparatory Camp to serve rural students enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) STEM courses. Success in AP STEM courses relies heavily on student understanding and motivation. However, existing literature investigating the intersection of rural AP STEM education, student motivation, and student STEM interest is lacking. This study employs a Self-Determination Theory lens to investigate this intersection. This study also seeks to investigate differences in participants' self-reported autonomy, competence, relatedness, STEM interest, and STEM aspirations using a quantitative, mixed-methods program evaluation design approach. Analyses include paired-samples t-tests, independent samples t-tests, two-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. These results highlight areas for future research, including refinement of data collection techniques, more focus on STEM activities and teacher experience, and efforts to make AP STEM content less abstract to students, among other suggestions.

Download

Share

COinS