scholarly journals The Effect of High School Rank in English and Math on College Major Choice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Delaney ◽  
Paul J. Devereux
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
College Major ◽  
Major Choice ◽  
College Major Choice ◽  
High School Rank

Supporting the STEM Pipeline: Linking Applied STEM Course-Taking in High School to Declaring a STEM Major in College

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Gottfried ◽  
Robert Bozick
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
College Major ◽  
Major Choice ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
College Major Choice ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Pipeline ◽  
Stem Major ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Scientific Fields

Recently, through the support from the Obama administration, the traditional STEM curricula (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in high schools are being updated with integrated, applied STEM courses (e.g., technology and engineering) in order to enhance the “real world” applicability of scientific fields and ultimately to strengthen the link between what students learn in high school and college major choice. Using longitudinal survey and transcript data, this study examines whether taking these applied STEM courses in high school can predict higher odds of declaring a STEM major in college. The findings reveal that taking applied STEM courses in high school is associated with a higher probability of declaring a STEM college major for four-year students. Moreover, applied STEM course-taking is highly predictive of declaring an applied STEM major. Implications are discussed.

scholarly journals College Major Choice and Neighborhood Effects in a Historically Segregated Society: Evidence from South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 472-491
Author(s):  
Biniam E. Bedasso
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
High School ◽  
Neighborhood Effects ◽  
Role Models ◽  
College Major ◽  
Major Choice ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
College Major Choice ◽  
Spatial Inequalities ◽  
Expected Earnings

This paper explores factors affecting the choice of investment in specific human capital in the presence of significant inter-group and spatial inequalities. I use four years of admissions application data at an elite university in South Africa in conjunction with quarterly labor force data to trace the link between aptitude-adjusted expected earnings, neighborhood effects, and the choice of college major. The paper relies on the availability of a rich set of academic and geographical information in the admissions database to make causal inference. The results show that expected earnings have a positive impact on major choice independently of high school background when the ex ante distribution of earnings captures the full range of between-major and within-major income differentials. White applicants are more responsive to differentials in expected earnings than black applicants. Neighborhood effects influence college major choice through near-peer role models and relative achievement at the high school level.

Understanding Determinants for STEM Major Choice Among Students Beginning Community College

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-251
Author(s):  
Colleen A. Evans ◽  
Rong Chen ◽  
Ryan P. Hudes
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
High School ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
College Major ◽  
Major Choice ◽  
Science Laboratory ◽  
Advanced Mathematics ◽  
Stem Major

Objective: This study explored how high school and postsecondary academic parameters may relate to the choice of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major for students beginning their postsecondary education at community colleges. Our study incorporated these two clusters of factors into a statistical model to examine STEM major choice in community colleges. In particular, our study was one of the first to examine the direction and magnitude of the relationship between earned college credits in science laboratories and advanced mathematics and STEM college major selection. Method: We analyzed national data from the Education Longitudinal Study (2002) for students who were in 10th grade in 2002, entered community college as their first postsecondary institution, and declared a college major by 2006. A comprehensive integrated model was analyzed through binary logistic regression with the outcome variable of choice of STEM major or not. Results: We found math self-efficacy in high school, postsecondary introductory science laboratory courses, and postsecondary advanced mathematics courses were each positively associated with the choice of STEM major among community college students. Gender continues to be influential, with women less likely to pursue STEM than men. Contributions: Our study highlights the opportunities the science laboratory holds for engaging beginning community college students interested in STEM fields. The linchpin role of mathematics and science for students aspiring to study STEM is underscored by the findings of this study.

scholarly journals University Differences in the Graduation of Minorities in STEM Fields: Evidence from California

2016 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 525-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Arcidiacono ◽  
Esteban M. Aucejo ◽  
V. Joseph Hotz
Keyword(s):  
Graduation Rates ◽  
College Major ◽  
Major Choice ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Student Preparation ◽  
College Major Choice ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Racial Preferences ◽  
Persistence Rates ◽  
Science Major

We examine differences in minority science graduation rates among University of California campuses when racial preferences were in place. Less prepared minorities at higher ranked campuses had lower persistence rates in science and took longer to graduate. We estimate a model of students' college major choice where net returns of a science major differ across campuses and student preparation. We find less prepared minority students at top ranked campuses would have higher science graduation rates had they attended lower ranked campuses. Better matching of science students to universities by preparation and providing information about students' prospects in different major-university combinations could increase minority science graduation. (JEL D14, E23, E32, E43, E52, E61, E62)

A multi-theoretical framework to better understand the college major choice in arts and design

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1009-1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pranakusuma Sudhana ◽  
Ali Ameen ◽  
Osama Isaac
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
College Major ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Major Choice ◽  
College Majors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
College Major Choice

PurposeThis paper aims to identify career development theories that explain the intention to choose college majors in arts and design, to integrate the identified theories and to examine the relationships between determinants of the integrated model. In addition, this study attempts to identify the characteristics of the prospective arts and design students.Design/methodology/approachThe literature review resulted in a multitheoretical framework named as PERISCOPE (Personality of Holland's RIASEC in Social Cognitive and Planned Behavior Theories) to reflect the theories it consisted of. This study collected data from Year 12 students in Surabaya (n = 163) and used PLS-SEM technique to assess the measurement model and the structural model of such framework.FindingsThe results revealed that the integrated model explains 57.8 percent of the variance of the intention to pursue arts and design majors. This paper hence improves the predictive ability of an earlier model by adding a further theory. In addition, this study identified characteristics of the prospective students and concluded that students with artistic personality will have better self-efficacy, which sequentially have perception that pursuing arts and design majors will not be challenging, thus increases their intention to pursue such majors.Originality/valueThis study demonstrated that PERISCOPE framework is better in terms of predictive power in understanding the college major choice in arts and design. As a result, this study adds to the current body of knowledge in the field of college major choice, which was found to be lacking.

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