Analysis of Demographics and Factors Influencing Student Choice of Major at Five Universities

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 510b-510
Author(s):  
Tammy Kohlleppel ◽  
Jennifer C. Bradley ◽  
Jayne Zajicek
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Student Choice ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Choice Of Major ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
University History ◽  
Insight Into

In recent years horticulture programs at universities across the United States have experienced a decline in student numbers. Researchers at the Univ. of Florida and Texas A&M Univ. have developed a survey to gain insight into the influences on undergraduate students who major in horticulture. Five universities participated in the survey of undergraduate horticulture programs, these include the Univ. of Florida, Texas A&M Univ., Oklahoma State Univ., Univ. of Tennessee, and Kansas State Univ. Approximately 600 surveys were sent to the schools during the 1997 fall semester. The questionnaires were completed by horticulture majors and nonmajors taking classes in the horticulture departments. The survey consisted of two main sections. The first section examined student demographic information, high school history, university history and horticulture background and was completed by all students. Only horticulture majors completed the second section, which examined factors influencing choice of horticulture as a major. Results examine fundamental predictors in promoting student interest in horticulture, demographic variables that may influence student choice of major, and student satisfaction and attitude toward current collegiate horticulture programs. Findings from this study will provide insight into the status of post-secondary horticulture education and assist in identifying methods to increase student enrollment in horticulture programs across the country.

An Investigation Into the Factors Influencing Student Capstone Project Selection

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven R. Harper ◽  
Elise M. Barrella ◽  
Jacquelyn K. Nagel ◽  
Robert L. Nagel
Keyword(s):  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Project Selection ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Ranking Data ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Capstone Project ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Selection And Ranking

Our engineering program includes a two-year capstone experience. At the beginning of this experience, students bid into projects by rank ordering first, second, and third choice projects. Students’ decisions for long term commitments, such as selecting a capstone team, use various forms of bounded rationality. When making a choice on which two year capstone project to select and rank, there may be many reasons why a particular student or set of students will pick a project. In this study, we looked across three years of project selection and ranking data using a competing hypothesis to gain insight into the reasons with the greatest explanatory power on why projects are chosen. Implication of what this means regarding the overall portfolio of projects is offered as well as how to craft projects and project descriptions such that they garner more student interest and can lead to more excitement and learning.

Getting, Staying, and Being in College

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Nichols ◽  
Maria Guzmán
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Working Students ◽  
Fear Of Deportation ◽  
Insight Into

This chapter presents the experiences of undergraduate students at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States based on interviews with twenty-five enrolled students at six of the twenty-eight private, nonprofit Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States who were undocumented at the time of the interview. The students' experiences provide insight into the experiences of hard-working students pursuing uncertain futures and encountering career-limiting laws under the constant fear of deportation. The chapter starts with a discussion of students' experiences coming to the United States followed by a focus on college: getting in, challenges to staying in college, what it is like to be in college while undocumented, to thoughts about moving on after graduation. It ends with suggestions for colleges from students themselves.

Gender Discrepancies through the College Years

2011 ◽  
pp. 190-205
Author(s):  
Christie L. McDaniel
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
University Students ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Information Science ◽  
The United States ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Self Confidence

Women made significant contributions to the beginning of the computing revolution. For example, Ada Byron Lovelace helped write the first subroutine, the women of the ENIAC age programmed the first computer during World War II, and Admiral Grace Hopper wrote the first compiler. While there have been female pioneers in the field, today men dominate the world of information technology (Riemenschneider, Armstrong, Allen, & Reid, 2004). Gürer and Camp (2002) report that many science fields hold women in low esteem, and attempt to reject them. Moreover, women are actually declining as part of the technology workforce: they made up 41% of the information technology workforce in 1996, but in 2002 that proportion was down to 35% (Cockburn, 1999). Furthermore, the number of female university students currently studying information technology and computer science will not lead to an increase of females in the profession: in 2002, only 28% of all degrees in computer and information sciences went to women (NCES, 2003); in 2003, only 19% of computer science students were female (Wilson, 2003) and only 28% of the undergraduate students in information science were female (Saye & Wisser, 2004). In a time where women make up the majority of university students (NCES, 2003), why is information technology seeing the opposite trend (Zeldin & Pajares, 2000)? There are a number of theories as to why so few women have chosen to pursue a career in technology (Acker, Barry, & Esseveld, 1990; Cooper & Robinson, 1985; Wilson, 2003; Zeldin & Pajares, 2000). Furthermore, nearly all studies on the subject have been done in the United States (Irani, 2004; Lips, 2004; Wilson, 2003) while only one study cited here explored the gender gap among university students at the University of Hong Kong (Huang, Ring, Toich, & Torres, 1998). A number of feminist researchers believe that science (including technology) has a language that is masculine in nature (Acker et al., 1990). Furthermore, since our society understands gender as binary—that is, what is masculine is not feminine and vice versa—the very nature of science leaves women out. Once women get into the IT world, they face issues of personality and confidence that differ by gender. One theory, to be explored in depth here, is that women enrolled in introductory programming courses have less confidence in themselves than do their male counterparts and that the confidence level of female students decreases significantly between secondary and post-secondary education (Lips, 2004). In addition to being shaped by their comparisons of their performance with the performance of their male peers, women’s self-confidence is likely influenced by their experience of stress in their technology-oriented courses. These influences, combined with inaccurate views of IT careers, are influential in whether or not college students decide to work towards an IT-related major or choose another discipline all together (Irani, 2004; Zeldin & Pajares, 2000).

scholarly journals Investigating the Influence of Professor Characteristics on Student Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thorsten Gruber ◽  
Anthony Lowrie ◽  
Glen H. Brodowsky ◽  
Alexander E. Reppel ◽  
Roediger Voss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Focus Attention ◽  
Kano Model ◽  
Multiple Attributes

This research uses the Kano model of satisfaction to investigate professor characteristics that create student satisfaction as well as those attributes that can cause their dissatisfaction. Kano questionnaires were handed out to 104 undergraduate students at a university in the Southwest and to 147 undergraduate students at a university in the Midwest of the United States. The two resulting Kano maps show the same delighting attributes although other satisfaction attributes are also similar. The findings reveal the importance of the personality of professors and the characteristics of professors that (a) are desired by students, (b) are not desired by students, (c) affect student satisfaction the most, and (d) affect satisfaction the least. The results also demonstrate how professors and universities can focus attention on those attributes most likely to influence satisfaction. No attributes of professors are classified as basic or taken for granted factors by students, although three attributes are excitement factors that have the potential to delight students. The findings illustrate that there is a set of multiple attributes that professors need to possess for satisfying student–professor classroom service encounters. Student populations appear to show strong similarities in their preferences for characteristics of professors that lead to satisfaction and dissatisfaction outcomes.

scholarly journals A Review of First-Year Student Stress and Social Support

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 472
Author(s):  
Rebecca Maymon ◽  
Nathan C. Hall
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Post Secondary

The present paper reviews empirical literature on stress and social support relative to first-year post-secondary students, published between 1996 and 2020. Empirical studies included in the literature search focused on stress, coping, and social support specifically among first-year undergraduate students while studying in countries adopting North American higher education models comparable to the United States and Canada. This review examines contextual and psychological antecedents and correlates of stress, as well as associated demographic and achievement variables. Furthermore, this review extends to studies on social support categorized by source (peers, family, faculty, institution, and multiple sources of support). A synthesis and critique of the literature explores the themes in the empirical research presented, as well as considerations for future research.

scholarly journals Impact of the INBRE summer student mentored research program on undergraduate students in Arkansas

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean C. McSweeney ◽  
Teresa J. Hudson ◽  
Latrina Prince ◽  
Helen Beneš ◽  
Alan J. Tackett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
The United States ◽  
Student Perspectives ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Interest In Research

The Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, housed within the National Institute for General Medical Sciences, administers the Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) as a strategic mission to broaden the geographic distribution of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding within the United States. Undergraduate summer student mentored research programs (SSMRP) are a common feature of INBRE programs and are designed to increase undergraduate student interest in research careers in the biomedical sciences. Little information is available about student perspectives on how these programs impact their choices relative to education and careers. Therefore, we conducted qualitative interviews with 20 participants from the Arkansas INBRE SSMRP in the years 2002–2012. Each telephone interview lasted 30–45 min. An interview guide with a broad “grand tour” question was used to elicit student perspectives on SSMRP participation. Interviews were digitally recorded, then transcribed verbatim, and the transcript checked for accuracy. Content analysis and constant comparison were used to identify nine themes that were grouped into three temporal categories: before, during, and after the SSMRP experience. Students viewed the experience as positive and felt it impacted their career choices. They emphasized the value of mentoring in the program, and some reported maintaining a relationship with the mentor after the summer experience ended. Students also valued learning new laboratory and presentation skills and felt their research experience was enhanced by meeting students and scientists with a wide range of career interests. These data suggest that the Arkansas INBRE and the NIH IDeA program are successfully meeting the goal of increasing interest in research among undergraduates.

scholarly journals Instructor Presence and Student Satisfaction Across Modalities: Survey Data on Student Preferences in Online and On-Campus Courses

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-98
Author(s):  
Rebecca A. Glazier ◽  
Heidi Skurat Harris
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Professional Development ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
College And University ◽  
The University

Post-COVID-19, many, if not most, college and university instructors teach both online and face-to-face, and, given that online courses historically have higher attrition rates, designing and facilitating effective online courses is key to student retention. Students need online and on-campus courses that are well designed and facilitated, but even well-designed classes can be ineffective if students feel lost in the course or disengaged from the instructor. We surveyed 2,007 undergraduate students at a public, metropolitan university in the United States about the best and worst classes they had taken at the university. The resulting data revealed important consistencies across modalities—such as the importance of clear instructions and instructor availability. However, students responded that instructors matter more in face-to-face courses, where they can establish personal relationships with students, whereas assignments “stand in” for instructors in online classes. These findings support the need for increased faculty professional development in online course design and facilitation focused on student experience as well as faculty expertise.

Does a Graduate Course in Fluency Disorders Make a Difference?

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn R. Klein ◽  
Barbara J. Amster
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Graduate Course ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fluency Disorders ◽  
Introductory Course ◽  
Communicative Disorders

Abstract A study by Yaruss and Quesal (2002), based on responses from 134 of 239 ASHA accredited graduate programs, indicated that approximately 25% of graduate programs in the United States allow students to earn their degree without having coursework in fluency disorders and 66% of programs allow students to graduate without clinical experience treating people who stutter (PWS). It is not surprising that many clinicians report discomfort in treating PWS. This cross-sectional study compares differences in beliefs about the cause of stuttering between freshman undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory course in communicative disorders and graduate students enrolled and in the final weeks of a graduate course in fluency disorders.

Bilingual and Monolingual Students' Perceptions of the CSD Major: A Qualitative Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flora Keshishian ◽  
Rebecca Wiseheart
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
School Setting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bilingual Students ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Diverse Environment ◽  
Language Pathology ◽  
Areas Of Interest

There is a growing demand for bilingual services in speech-language pathology and audiology. To meet this growing demand, and given their critical role in the recruitment of more bilingual professionals, higher education institutions need to know more about bilingual students' impression of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) as a major. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate bilingual and monolingual undergraduate students' perceptions of the CSD major. One hundred and twenty-two students from a large university located in a highly multicultural metropolitan area responded to four open-ended questions aimed at discovering students' major areas of interest (and disinterest) as well as their motivations for pursuing a degree in CSD. Consistent with similar reports conducted outside the United States, students from this culturally diverse environment indicated choosing the major for altruistic reasons. A large percentage of participants were motivated by a desire to work with children, but not in a school setting. Although 42% of the participants were bilingual, few indicated an interest in taking an additional course in bilingual studies. Implications of these findings as well as practical suggestions for the recruitment of bilingual students are discussed.

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