Undecided/Undeclared: Working with "Deciding" Students

McDaniels, Robert M.; Carter, Jennifer K.; Heinzen, Cynthia J.; Candrl, Karin I.; Wieberg, Anna M.

doi:10.1177/089484539402100209

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The crises in the context of this study are related to college major decisions or pursuance to particular subject-specific experiences such as an undergraduate research experience in physics. The identity status framework is relevant to the investigation of students' decision to study a subject in any context but is particularly relevant to investigations in the United States where the college major decision is an important life focusing decision (Galotti et al 2006) that many students struggle with (McDaniels et al 1994). The theory fits the United States college context, as the college major decision is open to both multiple approaches and multiple sources of information that can be investigated to help inform this decision.…”

Section: Identity Statusesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identity statuses in upper-division physics students

Irving

Sayre

2016

Cult Stud of Sci Educ

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We use the theories of identity statuses and communities of practice to describe three different case studies of students finding their paths through undergraduate physics and developing a physics subject-specific identity. Each case study demonstrates a unique path that reinforces the link between the theories of communities of practice and identity statuses. The case studies also illustrate how students progress and regress in their commitment to their subject-specific identities and their professional identities. The progression/regression is dependent on their willingness to explore different aspects of a physics professional identity and their availability to carry out such exploration. Identity status and future identity crises can manifest in students' behavior in the classroom. Allowing students to engage in more legitimate practices of the physics community, especially in the form of undergraduate research, helps students to explore their opportunities and inform the level of commitment they wish to make to physics.

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Section: Identity Statusesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identity statuses in upper-division physics students

Irving

Sayre

2016

Cult Stud of Sci Educ

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“…Some scholars use the terms “undecided students” and “undeclared students” interchangeably (e.g., Leach & Patall, 2016, p.20; McDaniels, Carter, Heinzen, Candrl, & Wieberg, 1994, p.135). However, Leach and Patall (2016) argued that “[u]ndeclared students may have made a decision about their major but have not officially declared it by choice or by design” (p. 29).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Data Analytics in Supporting the Advising of Undecided Students

Wang

Orr

2019

Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Pr

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Higher education institutions have prioritized supporting undecided students with their major and career decisions for decades. This study used a U.S. public research-focused university’s large-scale institutional data set and undecided student’s retention and graduation rate predictors to demonstrate how to couple student and institutional data with predictive analytics to understand the different demographics, academic characteristics, and the number of major changes between undecided and decided students. This study helps practitioners take the first step in using data analytics to inform decision-making in academic advising and supporting undecided students’ academic success.

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“…Young persons exploring their own career paths in college may find family career genograms particularly helpful in illuminating patterns of vocational choice within the early period of their life design (Savickas, 2012). Exploratory college students, defined as those without declared majors (McDaniels, Carter, Heinzen, Candri, & Wieberg, 1994), can experience great financial cost and emotional frustration due to potentially wasted time, money, and college credits until they settle on a major (Legutko, 2007). These transitional and developmental issues can often be the impetus for family counseling.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%