Digest- V8, I3 Full Issue

8 TPC Digest Factors Influencing Undergraduate Student Retention in STEM Majors Christopher T. Belser, M. Ann Shillingford, Andrew P. Daire, Diandra J. Prescod, Melissa A. Dagley Career Development, Math Ability, and Demographics T he United States currently does not have enough people entering the workforce to fill jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). This problem has been blamed on numerous causes, including not enough people declaring STEM majors when they arrive at college and low percentages of people graduating from college with a STEM degree. To help with these issues, some universities have created programs devoted to helping students in STEM majors move through college more successfully. These programs have primarily targeted mentorship, academic tutoring, and getting students involved with undergraduate research; however, these programs have not adequately included career planning and exploration activities. In previous studies, researchers have identified various factors that are associated with students’ likelihood to complete a STEM degree. Numerous studies have shown that female students and racial/ethnic minorities are less likely to complete a STEM degree. According to these studies, this trend may occur because these individuals are underrepresented in STEM fields, which can impact students’ ability to visualize themselves in one of these fields and also their ability to find a mentor in the field. In addition to demographics, studies have also shown that students’ ability, interest, or self-efficacy in math can also impact whether or not they choose a STEM major or complete that major. In this study, the researchers examined how one of these STEM programs for undergraduates influenced retention rates for students’ first and second years of college. This program incorporated a career planning class specifically designed for STEM students and also included math tutoring and mentorship. The results of the study showed that students who entered college with a declared STEM major were more likely to remain in a STEM major through the first two years of college than students who chose a STEM major after starting college. This finding shows that even though career planning can help students identify and commit to a major, they are more likely to be successful if they develop a career plan in high school. Another finding from this study was that reducing negative career thoughts (something that can be achieved through career planning) is associated with better retention outcomes. And as expected, students with higher math scores were more likely to remain in a STEM major; however, ethnic minorities in this study actually outperformed White students, which was unlike prior research. The results of this study provide support for incorporating career planning and exploration activities into STEM programming but also show that these activities may be most effective if done before students get to college. Although the data could not definitively prove that career planning improved outcomes for females and racial/ethnic minorities, the differences observed in this study compared to prior research indicate that this may be an area for further study. Christopher T. Belser, NCC, is an assistant professor at the University of New Orleans. M. Ann Shillingford is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida. Andrew P. Daire is a dean at Virginia Commonwealth University. Diandra J. Prescod is an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University. Melissa A. Dagley is an executive director at the University of Central Florida. Correspondence can be addressed to Christopher Belser, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, Bicentennial Education Center Room 174, New Orleans, LA 70148, ctbelser@uno.edu.