Academic Major Decidedness

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason M. Riley ◽  
Jamie D. Collins
Keyword(s):  
First Generation ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Academic Major ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Undecided Students ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
The People ◽  
Number Of Classes ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

The authors investigate how job-related beliefs, professors, and families influence major decidedness for undergraduate business students. When students are decided about their major, they can focus on studies, have clearer direction, and reduce the time and number of classes necessary to complete their degree. By understanding how business students decide their academic major, universities can better direct recruitment, guidance, and retention resources. Using survey data from 410 undergraduates, the authors link job-related beliefs to major decidedness and show when students are optimistic about career potential, job structure, and the people orientedness of the profession associated with their major they will be more decided about their major. The findings also confirm the effects of professors and families on academic major decidedness. The results offered herein represent a call to action suggesting professors should spend time with undecided students, so they can better coach the students as they decide their major. Additionally, business schools should direct resources to educate family members, so they can help students decide their major. Lastly, when examining differences between first-generation and non-first generation students, the authors found professors and family members were more influential to the first-generation population. Hence, first-generation students are more receptive to guidance about their academic major.

Criteria for Selection of an Academic Major: Accounting and Gender Differences

1994 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 1169-1170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana R. Lowe ◽  
Larry S. Lowe ◽  
Kathleen Simons
Keyword(s):  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Academic Major ◽  
Academic Majors ◽  
Intrinsic Rewards ◽  
The Common ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students ◽  
Criteria For Selection ◽  
Selection Of

An instrument for selection of academic majors was administered to 638 undergraduate business students to assess selection criteria for accounting majors and to compare criteria with nonaccounting majors, including marketing, management, and finance. Analysis supported the common stereotype that accounting majors were more motivated by extrinsic rewards than nonaccounting students; female accounting majors were more influenced than male accounting majors by intrinsic rewards.

scholarly journals First-Generation Students in Distance Education Program: Family Resources and Academic Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-147
Author(s):  
Michael R. Brubacher ◽  
Fortunate T. Silinda
Keyword(s):  
Distance Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Academic Adjustment ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Academic Persistence ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Family Resource

Distance education students have less access to classmates as a social resource and may, therefore, rely more on family members for support. However, first-generation students, or students who are the first in their family to attend university, may lack the academic resources that family members can provide. Overall, first-generation students in distance education programs may be at particular risk of lacking the necessary social capital to thrive in university. This study investigated whether two family resource variables—providing guidance about university and expressing supportive attitudes toward university—varied across generation status among distance education students. The study also investigated whether these family resource variables predicted students’ academic adjustment and academic persistence. A sample of 224 undergraduate, distance education students in South Africa completed an online survey. First-generation students (n = 60) reported receiving less university guidance from family members compared to continuing-generation students. In addition, receiving university guidance predicted students’ academic adjustment. The results suggest that university guidance from family members may serve as a protective factor against potential challenges that can impact students’ academic adjustment, a protective factor that first-generation students are less likely to have.

scholarly journals First-Generation Students With Undecided Majors: A Qualitative Study of University Reacculturation

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-35
Author(s):  
Tracey A. Glaessgen ◽  
Cynthia J. MacGregor ◽  
Jeffrey H. D. Cornelius-White ◽  
Robert S. Hornberger ◽  
Denise M. Baumann
Keyword(s):  
First Generation ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Undecided Students ◽  
Group Interactions ◽  
Written Responses ◽  
First Year Seminar

When they enter institutions of higher education, students typically leave behind one culture to join another. Despite the higher rates of attrition for first-generation students over continuing-generation students and undecided students over declared students, little research has been focused on undeclared first-generation students. To understand the challenges and experiences of first-generation undecided students transitioning to a new and unfamiliar academic environment, we applied a reacculturation process to this qualitative exploratory case study of 35 students. Data came from interviews, focus group interactions, observations, and written responses to open-ended questions, which were subsequently triangulated. Findings revealed heightened feelings of stress, desire to become comfortable on campus, reliance upon continuing-generation friends, helpfulness of a specialized first-year seminar course, and uncertainty about advisors' roles.

Bringing active learning into the accounting classroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 576-597
Author(s):  
Satoshi Sugahara ◽  
Steven Dellaportas
Keyword(s):  
Active Learning ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Accounting Education ◽  
Academic Major ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of an accounting education pedagogy incorporating active learning approaches designed to engage first-year undergraduate business students and to aspire them to continue accounting as their academic major and entry into the accounting profession.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a questionnaire with a pre-/post-test design of 24 undergraduate business students enrolled in a course titled Accounting Active Learning Seminar (AALS) (test group) and 33 students who did not participate in the AALS (control group). The AALS incorporates various types of active learning methods designed by the authors to inspire students to continue with accounting as a career choice.FindingsThe findings show that participation in the AALS improved student’s motivation in accounting education and the likelihood of choosing accounting as their academic major. The active learning methods implemented in the AALS were effective in improving students’ confidence, of which degree contributed to students’ stronger works aspiration towards accounting professions. Further it was found that students who did not participate in the AALS tended to have lower attention dimensions of motivation, which was also significantly associated with lower percentage of students’ choice of academic major in accounting.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to empirically examine active learning on student engagement and performance with a focus on accounting. While the evidence shows that active learning has pedagogical benefits, the full potential of active learning is more likely to be realized when accounting educators design active learning carefully to address the “attention” and “confidence” attributes.

Test Anxiety in Potential First-Generation Students: A Longitudinal Examination of the Role of Psychological Needs

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-49
Author(s):  
Natalie Spadafora ◽  
Emily L. Murphy ◽  
Danielle S. Molnar ◽  
Dawn Zinga
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Self Report ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Post Secondary

It is estimated that 15-22% of students have high levels of test anxiety (von der Embse, Jester, Roy, & Post, 2018), which can be associated with greater academic stress and poorer educational performance (e.g., Steinmayr, Crede, McElvany, & Withwein, 2016). First-generation students (where neither parent has completed post-secondary education) are a critical group to study given that they are at higher risk for poorer educational attainment and being unsuccessful at the post-secondary level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the link between basic psychological needs and test anxiety in a sample of first-generation Ontario high school students across two points in time (N = 147;  Mage = 14.82, SD = 1.28). Self-report data was collected as a part of an on-going longitudinal study focusing on students attending a high school with specialized programming to enhance the transition to post-secondary institutions. Results from cross-lagged path analyses indicated that being older, female, and having higher levels of needs frustration significantly predicted higher levels of test anxiety over time within this sample. Our results highlight important educational implications, emphasizing the importance of fostering classroom environments where students perceive their psychological needs to be met, particularly within this unique population of students.

Cognitive Style and Sex: A Study of Stereotypical Thinking

2008 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-744
Author(s):  
Havva J. Meric ◽  
Margaret M. Capen
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Style ◽  
Linear Model ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Business Students ◽  
General Linear Model ◽  
General Linear ◽  
Male Undergraduate ◽  
Undergraduate Business Students

Differences between Cognitive Style Index mean scores of female and male undergraduate business students were tested using a general linear model. Among 286 undergraduate business students, women scored higher (more analytical) than men. The comparison of undergraduate business students with and without work experience related to their major shows that students with such related work experience were more intuitive than peers with no work experience related to their major.

scholarly journals The effect of food insecurity during college on graduation and type of degree attained: evidence from a nationally representative longitudinal survey

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Julia A Wolfson ◽  
Noura Insolera ◽  
Alicia J Cohen ◽  
Cindy W Leung
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Degree Attainment ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
First Generation Students ◽  
Effect Of Food ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract Objective: To examine the effect of food insecurity during college on graduation and degree attainment. Design: Secondary analysis of longitudinal panel data. We measured food insecurity concurrent with college enrollment using the 18-question USDA Household Food Security Survey Module. Educational attainment was measured in 2015-2017 via two questions about college completion and highest degree attained. Logistic and multinomial-logit models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics were estimated. Setting: United States (US) Participants: A nationally representative, balanced panel of 1,574 college students in the US in 1999-2003 with follow-up through 2015-2017 from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. Results: In 1999-2003, 14.5% of college students were food insecure and were more likely to be older, non-White, and first-generation students. In adjusted models, food insecurity was associated with lower odds of college graduation (OR 0.57, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.88, p=0.01) and lower likelihood of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree (RRR 0.57 95% CI: 0.35, 0.92, p=0.02) or graduate/professional degree (RRR 0.39, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.86, p=0.022). These associations were more pronounced among first-generation students. 47.2% of first-generation students who experienced food insecurity graduated from college; food insecure first-generation students were less likely to graduate compared to first-generation students who were food secure (47.2% vs. 59.3%, p=0.020) and non-first-generation students who were food insecure (47.2% vs. 65.2%, p=0.037). Conclusions: Food insecurity during college is a barrier to graduation and higher degree attainment, particularly for first-generation students. Existing policies and programs that help mitigate food insecurity should be expanded and more accessible to the college student population.

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