Improving the perception of self-efficacy in STEM

Promote successful experiences in STEM practice by incorporating and using personal skills and particular interests in the classroom.
Offer activities to students with low socioeconomic backgrounds or from low-income families. Highlight the idea that anyone can contribute. Think about how students can overcome the following steps in the proposed activities (scaffolding construction).
Use cooperative educational methodologies to build their own image and enhance the prominence of young people, instead of being competitive: applications, job-shadowing programmes, scientific volunteering, participation in science fairs and workshops, etc.
Decriminalize error: it doesn’t matter if we fail! Create a good atmosphere so that students can speak without fear.
Help them reflect on their own abilities (metacognition): “Can you see what you are doing?” “Look at the difference between the first prototype and the final one!”
Take care with respect to the messages that are communicated: value the process more than the final result, or value the strategies used to overcome difficulties, or give options for improvement, or make comments with a positive content (“you’ve tried…”, “I like what you’ve done…”).
Read here the complete ebook “STEM professionals to inspire young people”