Supporting Students' Intentions to Persist in STEM Disciplines: The Role of Living-Learning Programs among other Social-Cognitive Factors

Understanding the Relationship between Living–Learning Communities and Self-efficacy of Women in Engineering

“…Somewhat conflicting data found that participation in an LLC (with a STEM focus or otherwise) had no direct relationship with STEM persistence for women. 16 However, women's likelihood of graduating from a STEM field was related to several facets of their college experiences that are generally assumed to be augmented through participation in LLCs; for example, conversations with peers about academic issues, faculty interaction and mentoring, and socially supportive residence hall climates. Thus, even though mere participation in an LLC may not necessarily facilitate STEM persistence for women, the types of activities undertaken in LLCs may be the conduits for STEM success for women.…”

“…4 Meanwhile, behaviors of low self-confidence, such as dropping a class, doing less well in a particular class than expected, and feeling overwhelmed by homework, were most likely to be associated with women in STEM majors who did not participate in any form of LLC. 4,16,26 Inkelas further analyzed the NSLLP participants data and found women-only STEM LLC participants were 31% more likely to attend graduate school in a STEM field compared to women STEM majors in non-STEM LLCs (e.g., residential honors programs), and 29% more likely than women in STEM who did not participate in any type of LLC. 4,26 Most LLC participants lived in the LLC as freshmen, but the program continued to have an impact on the women into their senior years even accounting for the women's background characteristics and other college experiences.…”

“…5,[9][10][11] Membership in a learning community has also been linked to a variety of positive educational outcomes, including grades in college, desired learning outcomes, and persistence and graduation. 7,8,10,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Until fairly recently, researchers struggled with assessing the direct educational outcomes of learning communities on student academic performance, such as GPA, progress toward degree, or other academic measures. However, the primary benefits of learning communities are due to the indirect impact of the increased educational engagement that learning communities provide.…”

PEEPS: Cultivating a Cohort of Supportive Engineering Students and Building a Support Team for Institutional Change

“…12 In addition, students who are first-generation college students, economically disadvantaged, and/or from groups currently underrepresented in STEM fields may also have difficulties with their self-perception of their capabilities, or self-efficacy, as a scientist or engineer. 13,14 Low selfefficacy is considered one of the main reasons underrepresented students do not persist in their STEM major.…”

Comparing Organizational Structures: Two Case Studies of Engineering Companies

“…This could translate to engineering education by informing the way that large courses break down into smaller groups or sections. It could also help to identify methods for creating these close knit relationships, whether through cohorts or living and learning options amongst others [29] . In design education, it is important to consider the size of the teams and how that translates to the type of project and experience that students will have.…”