scholarly journals The Influence of Microaffirmations on Undergraduate Persistence in Science Career Pathways

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. ar40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mica Estrada ◽  
Gerald R. Young ◽  
Jill Nagy ◽  
Emily J. Goldstein ◽  
Avi Ben-Zeev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Persistence ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Academic Context ◽  
Student Integration ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Science Community ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Undergraduate Persistence

The present studies aimed to advance the measurement and understanding of microaffirmation kindness cues and assessed how they related to historically underrepresented (HU) and historically overrepresented (HO) undergraduate student persistence in science-related career pathways. Study 1 developed and tested the dimensionality of a new Microaffirmations Scale. Study 2 confirmed the two-factor structure of the Microaffirmations Scale and demonstrated that the scale possessed measurement invariance across HU and HO students. Further, the scale was administered as part of a longitudinal design spanning 9 months, with results showing that students’ reported microaffirmations did not directly predict higher intentions to persist in science-related career pathways 9 months later. However, scientific self-efficacy and identity, measures of student integration into the science community, mediated this relationship. Overall, our results demonstrated that microaffirmations can be measured in an academic context and that these experiences have predictive value when they increase students’ integration into their science communities, ultimately resulting in greater intentions to persist 9 months later. Researchers and practitioners can use the Microaffirmations Scale for future investigations to increase understanding of the positive contextual factors that can ultimately help reduce persistence gaps in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics degree attainment.

scholarly journals Building Better Bridges into STEM: A Synthesis of 25 Years of Literature on STEM Summer Bridge Programs

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. es3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ashley ◽  
Katelyn M. Cooper ◽  
Jacqueline M. Cala ◽  
Sara E. Brownell
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Persistence ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Summer Bridge Programs ◽  
Summer Bridge ◽  
Bridge Programs ◽  
Bridge Program ◽  
The Past ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics

Summer bridge programs are designed to help transition students into the college learning environment. Increasingly, bridge programs are being developed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines because of the rigorous content and lower student persistence in college STEM compared with other disciplines. However, to our knowledge, a comprehensive review of STEM summer bridge programs does not exist. To provide a resource for bridge program developers, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on STEM summer bridge programs. We identified 46 published reports on 30 unique STEM bridge programs that have been published over the past 25 years. In this review, we report the goals of each bridge program and whether the program was successful in meeting these goals. We identify 14 distinct bridge program goals that can be organized into three categories: academic success goals, psychosocial goals, and department-level goals. Building on the findings of published bridge reports, we present a set of recommendations for STEM bridge programs in hopes of developing better bridges into college.

Peer Coaching Program Development: A Framework of First-Year Latina/o Student Persistence Pursuing STEM Pathways at a Hispanic Serving Institution

2019 ◽  
pp. 153819271986709
Author(s):  
Carmen Cruz ◽  
Geetu Rajpal ◽  
Michael Lecocke ◽  
Ian Martines ◽  
Anna Lurie
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Persistence ◽  
Peer Coaching ◽  
South Texas ◽  
First Year ◽  
Hispanic Serving Institution ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Hispanic Serving

This study developed and examined the implementation of an intrusive peer-to-peer coaching program model at a private 4-year master’s degree granting Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located in South Texas. The coaching program provided support and promoted increased persistence among Latina/o students entering first-year science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Findings positively indicated that first-year Latina/o STEM students can achieve academic success in college when they are matched and supported by culturally similar upperclassmen peer coaches.

scholarly journals High School Course Access and Postsecondary STEM Enrollment and Attainment

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajeev Darolia ◽  
Cory Koedel ◽  
Joyce B. Main ◽  
J. Felix Ndashimye ◽  
Junpeng Yan
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Public University ◽  
University System ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
High School Math ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Postsecondary Science ◽  
Rule Out

We study the effects of access to high school math and science courses on postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrollment and degree attainment using administrative data from Missouri. Our data include more than 140,000 students from 14 cohorts entering the 4-year public university system. The effects of high school course access are identified by exploiting plausibly exogenous variation in course offerings within high schools over time. We find that differential access to high school courses does not affect postsecondary STEM enrollment or degree attainment. Our null results are estimated precisely enough to rule out moderate impacts.

scholarly journals A Goal Congruity Model of Role Entry, Engagement, and Exit: Understanding Communal Goal Processes in STEM Gender Gaps

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda B. Diekman ◽  
Mia Steinberg ◽  
Elizabeth R. Brown ◽  
Aimee L. Belanger ◽  
Emily K. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Social Roles ◽  
Goal Pursuit ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Gender Disparities ◽  
Stem Fields ◽  
Gender Gaps ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Research And Policy

The goal congruity perspective provides a theoretical framework to understand how motivational processes influence and are influenced by social roles. In particular, we invoke this framework to understand communal goal processes as proximal motivators of decisions to engage in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). STEM fields are not perceived as affording communal opportunities to work with or help others, and understanding these perceived goal affordances can inform knowledge about differences between (a) STEM and other career pathways and (b) women’s and men’s choices. We review the patterning of gender disparities in STEM that leads to a focus on communal goal congruity (Part I), provide evidence for the foundational logic of the perspective (Part II), and explore the implications for research and policy (Part III). Understanding and transmitting the opportunities for communal goal pursuit within STEM can reap widespread benefits for broadening and deepening participation.

STEM Identities: A Communication Theory of Identity Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 0261927X2110306
Author(s):  
Craig O. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Student Persistence ◽  
Communication Theory ◽  
Personal Attributes ◽  
Psychology Research ◽  
Engineering Majors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Communication Theory Of Identity ◽  
Undergraduate Engineering ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Mathematics

Education and psychology research has established STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) identities as an important factor in explaining student persistence in STEM fields. Few studies in social psychology of language or communication have investigated STEM identities, despite the fundamentally communicative nature of identity. Identity talk produced in semi-structured interviews with undergraduate engineering majors ( N = 16) at three U.S. universities was analyzed qualitatively using the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) as a sensitizing framework. The analysis showed that these students’ STEM identities emphasized personal attributes such as work ethic and a desire to make a positive difference in the world as well as relationships with peers in engineering. A number of potential identity gaps which might present barriers to forming a STEM identity were also evident in the data. These results underscore the importance of a communicative (interactive and relational) perspective in understanding students’ development and expression of STEM identities.

The Role of Test Anticipation in the Link Between Performance-Approach Goals and Academic Achievement

2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Crouzevialle ◽  
Fabrizio Butera
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
High Achievers ◽  
Course Content ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Approach Goals ◽  
Goal Endorsement

Abstract. Performance-approach goals (i.e., the desire to outperform others) have been found to be positive predictors of test performance, but research has also revealed that they predict surface learning strategies. The present research investigates whether the high academic performance of students who strongly adopt performance-approach goals stems from test anticipation and preparation, which most educational settings render possible since examinations are often scheduled in advance. We set up a longitudinal design for an experiment conducted in high-school classrooms within the context of two science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, namely, physics and chemistry. First, we measured performance-approach goals. Then we asked students to take a test that had either been announced a week in advance (enabling strategic preparation) or not. The expected interaction between performance-approach goal endorsement and test anticipation was moderated by the students’ initial level: The interaction appeared only among low achievers for whom the pursuit of performance-approach goals predicted greater performance – but only when the test had been scheduled. Conversely, high achievers appeared to have adopted a regular and steady process of course content learning whatever their normative goal endorsement. This suggests that normative strivings differentially influence the study strategies of low and high achievers.

Work Engagement and Research Output Among Female and Male Scientists

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lonneke Dubbelt ◽  
Sonja Rispens ◽  
Evangelia Demerouti
Keyword(s):  
Work Engagement ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Research Performance ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Time Control ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
And Performance ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Women have a minority position within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and, consequently, are likely to face more adversities at work. This diary study takes a look at a facilitating factor for women’s research performance within academia: daily work engagement. We examined the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between two behaviors (i.e., daily networking and time control) and daily work engagement, as well as its effect on the relationship between daily work engagement and performance measures (i.e., number of publications). Results suggest that daily networking and time control cultivate men’s work engagement, but daily work engagement is beneficial for the number of publications of women. The findings highlight the importance of work engagement in facilitating the performance of women in minority positions.

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