Understanding the Literature on STEM College Student Success Interventions: A Systematic Scoping Review

• In Event: Assessing STEM Student Success in Higher Education: Insights From Multidisciplinary Research

Abstract

Considerable time and energy have been devoted to developing efforts to bolster student success and equity in postsecondary STEM contexts. This study provides an overview of the current state of the literature through a large-scale scoping review of research on STEM college success interventions and success outcomes. The systematic review identified over 300 papers that assessed over 1400 relationships between an eligible STEM intervention (e.g., learning community, summer bridge program, supplemental instruction, mentoring, undergraduate research) and a pertinent outcome (e.g., self-efficacy, course grade, GPA, retention, graduation). The results provide various insights into the nature of interventions and outcomes that have received research attention to date, along with offering directions for future research to address limitations within this literature.

Authors

• Nicholas A. Bowman, University of Iowa

• Solomon Fenton-Miller, University of Iowa

• Lisa Nakahara, University of Iowa

• Samuel Kaser, University of Iowa

• Carlton J. Fong, Texas State University

• Agustín J. García, Texas State University

• Jodi Linley, University of Iowa