Background Promoting and improving STEM education is being driven by economic concerns as modern economies have a rising demand for qualified researchers, technicians, and other STEM professionals. In addition, women remain under-represented in STEM-related fields, with significant economic and societal consequences. Abundant research has shown that gendered pathways into and away from STEM are mediated through motivation, but there is paucity of knowledge regarding gendered patterns in high school students’ motivation profiles, especially in transdisciplinary domains like integrated STEM (iSTEM). This study addresses these gaps by examining the interconnection between patterns in motivation profiles towards integrated STEM (iSTEM), gender and STEM test scores. Results Using cluster analysis in a sample of N = 755 eighth grade students, we established four distinct motivation profiles. Subsequently, a multinomial logistic regression was performed to calculate predicted probabilities for cluster membership based on gender and test scores. Cluster distributions indicate significant differences based on gender and test score. Although our analysis shows no difference in average test scores, significant gender differences can be found in and between motivation profiles. For instance, girls are more likely to belong to a less favorable profile cluster than boys. In that cluster, girls have on average a significantly higher test score compared to boys, indicating a differential effect of motivation profiles. Conclusions The concept of motivational co-expression emphasizes a need for instructors to move past the simple high or low motivation labels, and toward an appraisal that recognizes how students adopt a complex interplay of motivation types. Moreover, the gender analyses raise questions about how we can move towards more equitable approaches.

In contrast with the plethora of studies on the academic motivation of regular students in regular educational settings, this study aims to shed light on the motivation and educational support needs of chronically ill children in hospital schools. This in-depth qualitative study seeks to explore whether the expected motivational dimensions central in SDT research are present in this specific population and setting and if the expected relationships with 'needs' are present. In contrast with research on academic motivation and needs in common classrooms, research on hospital schools is very scarce. Using the theoretical framework of self-determination theory, we investigated the presence of different types of motivation linked with ABC. More specifically, we investigated students' motivational types linked with the educational support needs that they expect their hospital school teacher(s) to address. A purposive selected sample of six students with severe chronic or long-term illnesses from three different hospital schools in Flanders (Belgium) was interviewed, using elicitation techniques to further deepen the data collection. Despite their chronic illnesses, all participating students were academically motivated, although some students indicated that not feeling well could cause temporary motivational regression. We were able to distinguish differences in motivation and expected need support. More controlled motivated students from the university hospital schools indicated a preference for support in terms of relatedness. More autonomously motivated students from a hospital school within a revalidation center showed more autonomous motivation and preferred competence support, instead of the autonomy-support that would be expected according to self-determination theory.

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