Although there has been some success with programmes that aim to increase STEM involvement by women and underserved minorities, science educators continue to seek ways to promote students’ interest in STEM. This study builds on social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the theory of enclothed cognition to assess the impact of wearing lab coats on 5th-grade students. Students were assigned to a treatment group (that wore lab coats, n = 106) or a control group (that did not wear lab coats, n = 110) for 10 science classes taught by their classroom science teacher. Students were assessed pre and post to the intervention with a survey designed to measure science interest, recognition from others as a science person, science self-efficacy, and STEM career goals. Results showed students’ interest in science was not significantly changed due to wearing the lab coat, but the lab coats did have significant effects on students’ perceived recognition by others as being a science learner. Furthermore, those treatment students with low self-efficacy (compared to those with high self-efficacy) and those with who did not report having access to a parent with a STEM career had significant increases in perceptions of self-efficacy in science.

With environmental issues growing globally, action for environmental protection is necessary to prevent further loss of biodiversity. One avenue for addressing these issues is through civic action. While programs have been developed to introduce youth to civic action during adolescence with the help of trained educators, little is known about educator self-efficacy (SE) in facilitating this type of program. To assess the SE of pre-service educators (PSEs) in facilitating a civic action curriculum, a workshop was hosted to introduce 30 PSEs to the process of a civic action project. This workshop was used to conduct an exploratory study with a convenience sample of PSEs. A mixed-methods pre- and post-survey with no control group was used to compare SE before and after the workshop. A statistically significant increase in SE was observed from the pre- to the post-survey (p < 0.01), suggesting an increase in PSE SE in guiding youth through a civic engagement project. Additionally, open-ended questions about PSE’s understanding of civic engagement suggested that the educators had a limited understanding of civic engagement for youth prior to the workshop but improved their understanding following the workshop. While limited by the exploratory nature and small sample size, these findings suggest that PSEs may benefit from participation in similar workshops to support their self-efficacy to facilitate youth-led civic action projects.