A study of the persistence of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors at five southeastern institutions of higher education.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to identify common attributes among Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students seeking baccalaureate degrees, and to examine the distribution of their perceptual responses relating to academic and intellectual development, student-peer relations, student-faculty relations, faculty concerns for students, as well as goal and institutional commitments. In addition, the degree to which STEM students feel they have integrated into their campus community and utilized the retention initiatives made available to them by their respective universities was investigated. A Likert scale survey instrument was developed and used to assess the perceptions of STEM students from five Southeastern universities. Data were gathered and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods.;The results of the analyses indicated that it was important for participating STEM students to gain a broad education and an appreciation of ideas; gain knowledge and skills directly applicable to their anticipated career; learn about themselves, their values, and their life goals; prepare for future study, work, and leisure time activities; as well as interact with different kinds of people and to enhance their interpersonal skills. In addition, significant differences were found in the responses of Black and non-Black STEM students relating to academic and intellectual development, student-peer relations, faculty concerns for students, as well as goal and institutional commitments. The analyses further indicated that STEM students were influenced to persist by their desire for success and a profitable career, family support and religious views, intrinsic values and motives, and personal satisfaction with the university. Finally, STEM students proposed six recommendations that would increase the likelihood of their persistence and completion of a STEM degree. These recommendations included providing more information regarding STEM careers, enhancing the STEM curriculum, providing more guidance and mentoring, having a more approachable faculty and staff, offering more instructional help, and supplying better campus labs and hands-on resources.