An NSF-LSAMP Model for the Successful Transition of Underrepresented Students into STEM Majors and Beyond

The present study employed a narrative identity analysis to the examination of identity development in relation to major choice for college-going emerging adults. We focused on underrepresented minorities (URMs) who expressed an interest in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) majors. In a qualitative, longitudinal, case-based study of URMs at two different campuses ( n = 26), we followed their development through college over 4 years, engaging in a comprehensive analysis of their experiences, including individual differences in pathways of identity formation. Results revealed five trajectories of development that focused on the degree of certainty in major and career choice, and general psychological functioning and identity integration. Implications include the need to examine a diversity of experiences to understand the “whole person,” which includes attending to motivations and psychological well-being, along with experiences in the classroom.

Download Full-text

Reducing achievement gaps in undergraduate general chemistry could lift underrepresented students into a “hyperpersistent zone”

Science Advances ◽

10.1126/sciadv.aaz5687 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (24) ◽

pp. eaaz5687 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

R. B. Harris ◽

M. R. Mack ◽

J. Bryant ◽

E. J. Theobald ◽

S. Freeman

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

General Chemistry ◽

Underrepresented Students ◽

Academic Preparation ◽

Achievement Gaps ◽

Family Education ◽

Point Scale ◽

Stem Majors ◽

Underrepresented Groups ◽

Race Ethnicity

Students from underrepresented groups start college with the same level of interest in STEM majors as their peers, but leave STEM at higher rates. We tested the hypothesis that low grades in general chemistry contribute to this “weeding,” using records from 25,768 students. In the first course of a general chemistry series, grade gaps based on binary gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and family education background ranged from 0.12 to 0.54 on a four-point scale. Gaps persisted when the analysis controlled for academic preparation, indicating that students from underrepresented groups underperformed relative to their capability. Underrepresented students were less likely than well-represented peers to persist in chemistry if they performed below a C−, but more likely to persist if they got a C or better. This “hyperpersistent zone” suggests that reducing achievement gaps could have a disproportionately large impact on efforts to achieve equity in STEM majors and professions.

Download Full-text

Increasing Persistence in Undergraduate Science Majors: A Model for Institutional Support of Underrepresented Students

CBE—Life Sciences Education ◽

10.1187/cbe.14-05-0082 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. ar12 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Brit Toven-Lindsey ◽

Marc Levis-Fitzgerald ◽

Paul H. Barber ◽

Tama Hasson

Keyword(s):

Native American ◽

Los Angeles ◽

Comparison Group ◽

Underrepresented Students ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Science Majors ◽

Closing The Achievement Gap ◽

Grade Point ◽

Stem Majors ◽

Undergraduate Science

The 6-yr degree-completion rate of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors at U.S. colleges and universities is less than 40%. Persistence among women and underrepresented minorities (URMs), including African-American, Latino/a, Native American, and Pacific Islander students, is even more troubling, as these students leave STEM majors at significantly higher rates than their non-URM peers. This study utilizes a matched comparison group design to examine the academic achievement and persistence of students enrolled in the Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS), an academic support program at the University of California, Los Angeles, for first- and second-year science majors from underrepresented backgrounds. Results indicate that PEERS students, on average, earned higher grades in most “gatekeeper” chemistry and math courses, had a higher cumulative grade point average, completed more science courses, and persisted in a science major at significantly higher rates than the comparison group. With its holistic approach focused on academics, counseling, creating a supportive community, and exposure to research, the PEERS program serves as an excellent model for universities interested in and committed to improving persistence of underrepresented science majors and closing the achievement gap.

Download Full-text

Identity Development and Major Choice Among Underrepresented Students Interested in STEM majors: A Longitudinal Qualitative Analysis

10.31219/osf.io/rz7sq ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kate C. McLean ◽

Isabella Mayan Koepf ◽

Jennifer Lilgendahl

Keyword(s):

Identity Development ◽

Identity Formation ◽

Emerging Adults ◽

Psychological Functioning ◽

Underrepresented Students ◽

Well Being ◽

Major Choice ◽

Stem Majors ◽

College Going ◽

Degree Of Certainty

The present study employed a narrative identity analysis to the examination of identity development in relation to major choice for college-going emerging adults. We focused on underrepresented minorities (URMs) who expressed an interest in Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) majors. In a qualitative, longitudinal, case-based study of URMs at two different campuses (n = 26), we followed their development through college over four years, engaging in a comprehensive analysis of their experiences, including individual differences in pathways of identity formation. Results revealed five trajectories of development that focused on the degree of certainty in major and career choice, and general psychological functioning and identity integration. Implications include the need to examine a diversity of experiences to understand the ‘whole person,’ which includes attending to motivations and psychological well-being, along with experiences in the classroom.

Download Full-text