A systematic review of programs and interventions for increasing the interest and participation of children and youth with disabilities in STEM education or careers

ABSTRACT

Background: Individuals with disabilities are under-represented in STEM education and careers. Research from the US has examined interventions for increasing the interest or participation of youth with disabilities in STEM, but this work has not yet been synthesized.

Objective: We reviewed and critically appraised the literature on the impact of programs and interventions for increasing the interest and participation of children and youth with disabilities in STEM education and careers.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of 5 databases (CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, and Scopus) for peer-reviewed articles published between 1993 and June 2018 reporting a STEM intervention. Risk of bias across studies and the overall rigour of the studies were assessed with the American Academy of Neurology guideline, and risk of bias within studies was assessed with Kmet and colleague’s (2004) standard quality assessment.

Results: We identified 17 articles meeting our inclusion criteria. All studies originated from the United States, representing 953 participants, ranging from 9 to 23 years old. Seventy-eight percent of the quantitative studies reported significant improvement in at least one of the following: perceived self-advocacy, self-esteem, social skills, independence, perceived value of the intervention, preparation for college and employment, perceived career options, or interest in taking STEM classes and pursuing STEM careers. Positive outcomes were reported across many delivery formats, including web-based interventions, virtual and face-to-face mentoring programs, and course-based interventions or workshops.

Conclusion: More research, with more rigorous, controlled designs, is needed to determine the impact of specific intervention components, and participant characteristics, such as gender, on intervention effectiveness.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupational science
• Participation
• STEM
• Children
• Education
• Career development

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the TRAIL lab staff and volunteers for their support.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The second author holds a career award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation. The research was also supported from the Kimmel family fund through the Bloorview Research Institute.