Examining the Role of Faculty-Student Interaction in Student Perceptions of Faculty Encouragement in STEM and Non-STEM Disciplines

• In Event: Support Structures for Student Development in Higher Education

Abstract

Faculty encouragement refers to positive messages from faculty, conveyed through language or symbolic representations, aimed at instilling courage, perseverance, confidence, inspiration, or hope in students, particularly in challenging situations (challenge-focused) or when recognizing potential (potential-focused). A survey of 351 college students from Engineering, Science, and other colleges examined the role of perceived faculty-student interactions in faculty encouragement. Results showed that both the quality and quantity of faculty-student interactions are important for students' perceptions of challenge- and potential-focused faculty encouragement. Moreover, Engineering students, compared to non-STEM students, reported lower quantities of interactions, which were associated with both types of encouragement. Finally, female Engineering students encountered lower quality interactions compared to male Engineering students and non-STEM students, resulting in less challenge-focused encouragement.

Authors

• Hsien-Yuan Hsu, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• Xiaoye Yang, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• Yanfen Li, University of Massachusetts - Lowell