The vision of future generations towards STEM education: Impact of a tech summer camp

Yolanda González-Arechavala; Olga Martín-Carrasquilla; Isabel Muñoz-San Roque; María José   Medina-Hernández

doi:10.20897/ejsteme/17643

Research Article

2025, 10(1), Article No: 35

The vision of future generations towards STEM education: Impact of a tech summer camp

Yolanda González-Arechavala ¹ ² ^* , Olga Martín-Carrasquilla ³, Isabel Muñoz-San Roque ³, María José Medina-Hernández ⁴

¹ Institute for Research in Technology, Comillas Pontifical University, SPAIN ² Chair for the Promotion of Women in STEM Vocations in Vocational Training for Sustainability Mobility, Comillas Pontifical University, SPAIN ³ Department of Education, Comillas Pontifical University, SPAIN ⁴ Departement de Systèmes Informatiques, Transports Publics de la Région Lausannoise, SWITZERLAND
^* Corresponding Author

https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17643

Published in Volume 10 Issue 1: 25 Dec 2025

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Abstract

STEM professions, which encompass science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, are crucial for the labor market and society. The demand for these professions has increased in recent years due to the pervasiveness of technology in daily life. Thus, fostering a positive attitude toward STEM among children and young is essential. This study aims to analyze the attitudes of boys and girls aged 9 to 17 toward STEM education after attending a series of courses at a Tech Summer Camp. It also examines whether attitudes differ by sex and age. A cross-sectional quasiexperimental pretest-post-test design with a quantitative methodology was used to collect and analyze data. Unlike findings from Spanish schoolchildren, our sample displayed more positive attitudes toward STEM education with increasing age. However, younger participants showed the greatest improvement in their perception of the usefulness of science, attributable to their experiences at the Tech Summer Camp. Regarding sex, no significant differences were observed across most dimensions, except in usefulness and liking, where females excelled. There is a clear need to promote such activities at an early age, particularly for girls. The study confirms that attending technology-focused camps in an informal educational setting enhances attitudes toward STEM education, especially among younger children.

Figure 1. Distribution of the sample by age and sex

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In-text citation: (González-Arechavala et al., 2025)
Reference: González-Arechavala, Y., Martín-Carrasquilla, O., Muñoz-San Roque, I., & Medina-Hernández, M. J. (2025). The vision of future generations towards STEM education: Impact of a tech summer camp. European Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), Article 35. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17643

AMA 10th edition

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: González-Arechavala Y, Martín-Carrasquilla O, Muñoz-San Roque I, Medina-Hernández MJ. The vision of future generations towards STEM education: Impact of a tech summer camp. European Journal of STEM Education. 2025;10(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17643

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Reference: González-Arechavala, Yolanda, Olga Martín-Carrasquilla, Isabel Muñoz-San Roque, and María José Medina-Hernández. "The vision of future generations towards STEM education: Impact of a tech summer camp". European Journal of STEM Education 2025 10 no. 1 (2025): 35. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17643

Harvard

In-text citation: (González-Arechavala et al., 2025)
Reference: González-Arechavala, Y., Martín-Carrasquilla, O., Muñoz-San Roque, I., and Medina-Hernández, M. J. (2025). The vision of future generations towards STEM education: Impact of a tech summer camp. European Journal of STEM Education, 10(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17643

MLA

In-text citation: (González-Arechavala et al., 2025)
Reference: González-Arechavala, Yolanda et al. "The vision of future generations towards STEM education: Impact of a tech summer camp". European Journal of STEM Education, vol. 10, no. 1, 2025, 35. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17643

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Reference: González-Arechavala Y, Martín-Carrasquilla O, Muñoz-San Roque I, Medina-Hernández MJ. The vision of future generations towards STEM education: Impact of a tech summer camp. European Journal of STEM Education. 2025;10(1):35. https://doi.org/10.20897/ejsteme/17643

Keywords

STEM education, informal learning, attitudinal measurement

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