Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Preliminary Validation of a STEM Attitudes Scale for Spanish-Speaking Children

This study presents the cross-cultural adaptation and preliminary validation of a STEM attitudes scale for Spanish-speaking primary-school students. A systematic review following PRISMA 2020 identified ten international instruments; a 27-item scale was selected for its comprehensive coverage of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The adaptation process followed international guidelines, including parallel translation, expert review, qualitative evaluation, and a pilot study with preliminary reliability analysis. Based on the results, two items were removed and the response survey was modified to an emoji-anchored Likert scale to reduce the cognitive load associated with abstract category interpretation and improve accessibility for young children. Psychometric analysis with 194 students in a Latin American context demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.952) and strong subscale reliability (α = 0.883–0.935). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a five-factor structure accounting for 66% of the variance: integrative STEM attitude, mathematics, science, technological application, and self-efficacy. The findings provide preliminary psychometric evidence supporting the adapted instrument for Spanish-speaking populations, addressing a gap in STEM education research and offering methodological insights for adapting response formats in childhood assessments. The availability of validated instruments to assess STEM attitudes at early ages is key for understanding the factors that influence children’s interest and engagement in STEM, particularly among girls, with important implications for educational practice, research, and international policy.