Program/Event
Arts and Research Showcase 2024
Abstract
Retention rates for undergraduate students in pre-health programs or tracks have had a continual decline as students progress through their bachelor’s degrees. While numerous articles publish statistics regarding students on a pre-med track with intentions to apply to medical school, information is not available for pre-health students applying to other health professional schools. It is important to know what measures can be taken or resources offered to improve the retention rates across these programs or tracks.
Peer-led focus groups were used to elicit uncensored responses from students. Focus groups allowed for a small number of participants with similar interests or qualities to discuss a series of open-ended questions. The group environment allowed for students to express their opinions as well as build off the opinions and ideas other participants present. For more exploratory talk, the focus groups were peer-led with student moderators and contributors rather than led by a figure of authority (i.e., a professor). Students used familiar vocabulary and lingo when conversing with their peers that may have shifted to use more professional terms in the presence of an authoritative figure. By being peer-led, the students felt more comfortable and open to discussing sensitive or “taboo” topics than they would if a teacher or parent had been in the room. Audio and video recording was used to capture the interviews and they were uploaded to an online transcription service (Otter.ai) and MAXQDA was used to code for common themes.
To analyze the variety of data that was collected, two frameworks were utilized: Social Learning Theory and Science Identity Model. Social Learning Theory emphasizes the influence of observational learning. Individuals obtain behavior, knowledge, and expectations through observing, imitating, and modeling others. This lens was used to look at which experiences shaped students’ perspectives of their programs or tracks and which factors led some participants to change programs or tracks. Science Identity Model uses the three interrelated dimensions of competence, performance, and recognition to capture science identity. Competence refers to knowledge and understanding of science content, performance refers to social performances of scientific practices, and recognition refers to self-recognition and recognition by others as being a “science person”. This lens was used to look at how students define their own science identity in addition to their sense of belonging within their programs or tracks.
Once the peer-led focus groups were conducted, the interviews were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed using a phenomenological approach. This approach focuses on the researchers’ immersion into the participants’ experiences to derive their details and meanings without bias or any preconceived notions. Through doing this, factors related to decreasing retention rates among pre-health students were identified along with resources students would like to see increased or introduced to aid in their academic journeys.
Recommended Citation
Humphreys, Taylor
(2024)
"Investigating pre-health students’ science identity and the factors that influence them to change programs or tracks,"
The Cardinal Edge: Vol. 2:
Iss.
2, Article 10.
Available at:
https://ir.library.louisville.edu/tce/vol2/iss2/10
