Program/Event
Arts and Research Showcase 2024
Abstract
Retention in and across STEM degrees has been a significant problem across institutions. By the time students have reached their third year, the University of Louisville has lost over 50% of the students who entered as first-year students.
The main objective of this study is to investigate variables such as sense of belonging, student’s mindset, and science identity and their relationship with retention in STEM degrees. While many studies have identified gaps among student groups across these variables, few studies have generated solutions to address these gaps. Further, the proposed solutions are often from the viewpoint of researchers and upper administration who indeed persisted through the current state of higher education potentially limiting the applicability to students in jeopardy of leaving. Therefore, this study involves eliciting ideas directly from current students related to their belonging, mindset, and identity and how to address issues of retention from their perspective.
Students enrolled in science courses at the University of Louisville are the target population of the study, specifically recruited in introductory biology and chemistry courses. These students were organized into groups to participate in interviews led by undergraduate researchers. Because the undergraduate researchers are STEM students enrolled at the university, they both shared their perspectives and prompted participants to share theirs. The unstructured format of the focus group relies on the peer interviewer to direct the discussion. Using a phenomenological approach, interview data was analyzed to identify trends from the focus group interviews. Patterns across the broad themes will be presented with a particular focus on external and internal motivation factors and accompanied by potential solutions generated from students’ perspectives.
This study involves eliciting ideas directly from current students related to their belonging, mindset, and identity and how to address issues of retention from their perspective. Common themes that came up across all four focus groups after coding were: feeling Supported, Belonging, and Peers. This further proved the point on how a student’s sense of belonging and identity plays a role in retention with STEM degrees and academic success. With a stronger sense of belonging and identity, a student feels more inclined to persist and finish their STEM degree.
Recommended Citation
Benson, Hayley and Balabanoff, Morgan
(2024)
"Investigating Factors Influencing Science Student Retention,"
The Cardinal Edge: Vol. 2:
Iss.
2, Article 21.
Available at:
https://ir.library.louisville.edu/tce/vol2/iss2/21
