Evaluating psychosocial mechanisms underlying STEM persistence in undergraduates: Evidence of impact from a six-day pre

Abstract

The persistence of undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is a national issue based on STEM workforce projections. We implemented a weeklong pre–college engagement STEM Academy (SA) program aimed at addressing several areas related to STEM retention. We validated an instrument that was developed based on existing, validated measures and examined several psychosocial constructs related to STEM (science identity, self-efficacy, sense of belonging to the university and to STEM, career expectancies, and intention to leave STEM majors) before and after the program. We also compared students in the SA program with a matched comparison group of first-year students. Results show that SA students significantly increased in science identity and sense of belonging to STEM and to the university, all predictive of increased STEM retention and a primary aim of the program. Relative to the matched comparison group, SA students began their first semester with higher STEM self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and science identity, positive career expectancies, and lower intention to leave STEM. The SA cohort showed 98% first-year retention and 92% STEM major retention. The SA program serves as a model of a scalable, first-level, cocurricular engagement experience to enhance psychosocial factors that impact undergraduate persistence in STEM. © 2017 D. Fiedler et al.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Not provided

Index Keywords

human psychology Humans Students student motivation university Universities education program evaluation science engineering mathematics technology biomedicine Biological Science Disciplines

Author Affiliations

Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Tampa, FL, United States

Department of Cell Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Tampa, FL, United States

Funding & Acknowledgements

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, HHMI

Grant: 00022157, 52008123

This project was supported in part by an undergraduate science education grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute#52008123 (RSP Director) The project is fully approved by USF IRB #Pro00022157 (recertified 2016). We thank the following collaborators for their assistance with this project: USF Office of Decision Support, USF Admissions, USF Residential Life, and University Community Marketing; Robert Potter for review and critical comments; David Rabson and Cynthia Brown Hernandez for assistance with data mining; and all SA graduate students, peer mentors, faculty, and staff who contributed to the various program elements and were committed to helping change the lives of those involved in the program.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, HHMI

This project was supported in part by an undergraduate science education grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute#52008123 (RSP Director) The project is fully approved by USF IRB #Pro00022157 (recertified 2016). We thank the following collaborators for their assistance with this project: USF Office of Decision Support, USF Admissions, USF Residential Life, and University Community Marketing; Robert Potter for review and critical comments; David Rabson and Cynthia Brown Hernandez for assistance with data mining; and all SA graduate students, peer mentors, faculty, and staff who contributed to the various program elements and were committed to helping change the lives of those involved in the program.

University of San Francisco, USF

This project was supported in part by an undergraduate science education grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute#52008123 (RSP Director) The project is fully approved by USF IRB #Pro00022157 (recertified 2016). We thank the following collaborators for their assistance with this project: USF Office of Decision Support, USF Admissions, USF Residential Life, and University Community Marketing; Robert Potter for review and critical comments; David Rabson and Cynthia Brown Hernandez for assistance with data mining; and all SA graduate students, peer mentors, faculty, and staff who contributed to the various program elements and were committed to helping change the lives of those involved in the program.

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Evaluating psychosocial mechanisms underlying STEM persistence in undergraduates: Evidence of impact from a six-day pre–college engagement STEM academy program

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