Reducing Psychosocial Gaps of Freshman Science and Mathematics Majors through a Structured First-Year Seminar Course (Stage 3, 2:17 PM)

• In Event: e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 4 - Stage 3

Abstract

Psychosocial experiences such as motivation, sense of belonging, and academic self-efficacy are vital for persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), especially during the transition into college environments. We investigated the effects of a high-impact multimodal first-year seminar (FYS) with a layered mentoring system developed for science and mathematics majors at a large R1 university in the southern United States on students’ psychosocial outcomes. Results revealed that demographic outcome gaps commonly found in early-STEM literature were narrower in gender and first-generation status. Disparities were present in the disabled and racially minoritized students, signaling where the targeted support remains needed. Findings suggest that the psychological outcome gaps can be reduced with intentionally designed high-impact FYS interventions with mentoring networks.

Authors

• Supuni Dhameera Silva, Louisiana State University

• Zakiya S. Wilson-Kennedy, Louisiana State University