Pushed Out or Pulled Away: College Students' Reasons for Leaving Biomedical Fields

• In Event: Facilitating Success and Persistence in STEM/STEAM

Abstract

Much research has explored attrition from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, but few studies have examined whether students who leave STEM feel pushed out of STEM fields of study as opposed to feeling pulled towards alternative fields. This multimethod study examined distinct types of attrition from biomedical fields. Among 1193 students studying biomedical fields early in college, 192 left, with 37.4% feeling pulled towards alternative fields. Underrepresented ethnic minority students were particularly likely to feel pushed out, which was explained in part by them receiving lower biology course grades. Interest in biology and biology course grades both predicted students feeling pushed out equally strongly, whereas interest predicted students feeling pulled away more strongly than did grades.

Authors

• Emily Quinn Rosenzweig, University of Georgia

• Judith Harackiewicz, University of Wisconsin

• Cameron Hecht, The University of Texas at Austin

• Stacy J. Priniski, Michigan State University

• Michael W. Asher, University of Wisconsin