ERIC Number: ED671443
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Sep
Pages: 39
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Examining STEM Performance within a Comprehensive College Transition Program. EdWorkingPaper No. 20-287
Elise Swanson; Joseph Kitchen; Tatiana Melguizo; Francisco Martorell
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
We examine the impact of the Thompson Scholars Learning Community (TSLC), a comprehensive college transition program serving students with a variety of majors, on students' science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related outcomes. We use an explanatory mixed-methods design, which prioritizes the quantitative analyses and uses qualitative analyses to contextualize and explain our quantitative findings. Overall, participating in TSLC does not make students more likely to declare a STEM major, although we do find a positive effect for students of color. TSLC students earn higher overall GPAs than their scholarship-only peers, and TSLC students majoring in STEM outperform scholarship-only STEM majors in STEM courses. Qualitative analyses suggest these results stem from the student-centered and proactive support the program provides students. Our results suggest that a disciplinarily-agnostic program can support student success in STEM, and may increase equitable representation in STEM fields.
Descriptors: STEM Education, School Transition, Communities of Practice, Student Experience, Grade Point Average, Academic Achievement, Majors (Students), Student Centered Learning, Academic Support Services, Sense of Belonging, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Student Attitudes, Low Income Students, College Students, Universities, College Entrance Examinations, Data Analysis
Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
Authoring Institution: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Identifiers - Location: Nebraska
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: ACT Assessment
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A