To support the industries of the future, there\u2019s an estimated need for a 33-percent increase in the number of STEM-degree holders. But right now, roughly half of first-year STEM majors are choosing to drop out or change their course of study before graduating.
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For many, the decision to leave STEM fields is rooted in feelings of academic underpreparedness, an inability to deal with rigorous curricula and a perception that they don\u2019t belong. And unfortunately, those choosing to leave such majors are disproportionately first-generation and underrepresented students, which furthers the lack of diversity in STEM.
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But, this can all change, according to a pair of researchers from the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). Colleges and universities just need to adjust their teaching methods.
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By way of a three-year study<\/a> evaluating student outcomes in two separate biology courses, the researchers proved that an active learning approach, which includes features like small group discussions, peer-reviewed writing assignments and pre-class readings coupled with quizzes, can improve students\u2019 overall grades and retention rates. \u201cAll students that are admitted here to UC Santa Barbara are capable of pursuing the biology major, otherwise the university would not have admitted them,\u201d Mike Wilton, a co-author of the study and lecturer in the UCSB Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, said in a statement<\/a>. But once they get to school, many first-year STEM students — especially those who are the first in their families<\/a> to go to college — face unpredicted academic adversity. And if they start slipping, they don\u2019t always know where to go for help. \u201cSometimes the background that these students have is not ideal \u2014 they came from high schools that didn\u2019t prepare them for the rigor that you face in college,\u201d Eduardo Gonzalez-Ni\u00f1o, a co-author of the study and lecturer in the UCSB Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, said in a statement. And then there are problems with the design of introductory STEM courses, which naturally tend to discourage students from continuing their education. \u201cThere\u2019s sort of a historic culture, oftentimes in university education, especially in science and math, to think of the early courses \u2026 as being screening courses, where the idea is you find out which students are \u2018good enough\u2019 to get through those courses,\u201d David Evans, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association, told VOA News<\/a>. \u201cAnd so instead of being an educational regime that encourages students, it\u2019s one that really filters.\u201d UCSB admits about 1,100 new biology majors each year, roughly 600 of whom leave the major after just two years. So, through a desire to improve retention rates, this study was born. The researchers hypothesized that if they introduced students to a more active, participatory style of learning, they might be able to prevent them from leaving early. Throughout the three-year research project, some groups of students continued to take the traditional, lecture-centric introductory biology course, while others opted to enroll in an \u201cintervention course,\u201d which included weekly review quizzes and a peer-led discussion section focusing on historically difficult course concepts. After analyzing three years worth of student performance, the researchers found that those who took the intervention course outscored students who took the traditional course by an average of 12 percent on common exam questions and achieved higher course grades, overall. On top of that, the students in the intervention course reported a significant increase in their overall \u201csense of belonging,\u201d compared to students who took the traditional course. Instead of feeling out of place or undeserving, the students in the intervention course built up confidence and a willingness to converse with their peers and professors. \u201cThe students in the active learning course were comfortable approaching us,\u201d Gonzalez-Ni\u00f1o said in a statement. \u201cThey can tell that we\u2019re on their side.\u201d This increased sense of belonging, along with greater academic performances, resulted in a higher likelihood for students to continue studying biology after completing their introductory course. According to the study, those who took the intervention course were about 10 percent more likely than students who took the traditional course to enroll in the following biology course the next quarter.
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe study<\/strong>
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nIncreasing diversity in STEM<\/strong>
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