Factors Influencing Undergraduate Student Retention in STEM Majors: Career Development, Math Ability, and Demographics

Abstract

Despite efforts to boost mental health treatment-seeking behaviors by combat veterans, rates have improved relatively little since 2004. Previous work suggests that trust and confidence in the mental health community may be a significant factor. This study explored how professional titles may impact trust and confidence among active-duty U.S. Army soldiers (n = 32). Consistent with previous research, eight vignettes were used to solicit ordinal (ranked) trust and confidence scores for mental health professionals. Highest confidence and trust were seen in clinical psychologists and licensed professional counselors, followed by psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, and marriage and family therapists; however, deviations were seen for each individual vignette and the manifested symptoms depicted. Scores for trust and confidence were strongly correlated and both appear to impact soldiers' treatment-seeking decisions.

Career Search Self‐Efficacy and STEM Major Persistence

“…The model accurately predicted 80% of the cases, thus providing some initial evidence that it is important to foster students' career‐related self‐efficacy to increase their odds of persistence in STEM. Furthermore, the finding that CSES scores positively predicted increased odds of persistence aligned with Belser et al's (2017, 2018) studies. Addressing students' career development such as their career‐related self‐efficacy or negative career thoughts is helpful to improving persistence outcomes.…”

“…Belser et al (2017) found that 1st‐year undergraduate students who declared a STEM major and participated in a STEM‐focused career planning course were 17.8 times more likely to stay in a STEM major for a 2nd year. Belser et al (2018) also predicted retention of students in a STEM career planning course using the Career Thoughts Inventory. As students' negative career thoughts decreased, their odds of 2nd‐year retention increased.…”

“…The work of Belser et al (2017, 2018) emphasized how participating in a STEM career planning course and reducing negative career thoughts can have a positive impact on STEM undergraduate retention. However, there is a need to further build the literature that uses career development factors to predict undergraduates' persistence in STEM.…”

Why spatial is special in education, learning, and everyday activities

“…Third, spatial thinking skills vary both at a group level and at the individual level. There are cases where group differences are of concern to the instructor, for example, in consideration of male–female differences in entry and retention rates in STEM disciplines (Belser et al 2018 ; Chen 2013 ; Sithole et al 2017 ). Instructors are also concerned with individual differences in aptitudes; for example, students vary in their spatial and verbal abilities and some students are good at spatial tasks and some are good at verbal tasks.…”

The Role of Faculty Guest Speakers and Research Lab Visits in STEM Major Selection: A Qualitative Inquiry

“…The primary intervention of the program is the STEM-focused career planning course, which aims to help students who have not yet solidified their undergraduate majors but have at least a minimal interest in pursuing a career in STEM. Prior research on this particular course has established its efficacy in helping students become more solidified in their decisions about majors and careers (Belser, Prescod, Daire, Dagley, & Young, 2017;Belser, Prescod, Daire, Dagley, & Young, 2018;Belser, Shillingford, Daire, Prescod, & Dagley, 2018;Prescod, Daire, Young, Dagley, Georgiopoulos, 2018).…”