The Efficacy of Undergraduate STEM Intervention Programs for Underrepresented Minorities: Assessment at One Southeastern University

• In Event: 1483 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 06. Space, Race, Ethnicity, and Educational Attainment

Abstract

Aiming to produce an increasingly talented pool of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) graduates, the American higher education system has developed various programs designed to increase retention and graduation rates in these fields. To increase undergraduate student access and persistence in STEM fields, educators have strategically developed STEM Intervention Programs (SIPs) that remove barriers between students and their pursuit of STEM degrees and careers. This study attends to the specific practices, strategies, and tactics used within SIPs and measures the outcomes of racial minority student participants. Specifically, this study compares the efficacy, regarding the retention and encouragement of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority students, of three intervention programs designed to increase the number of undergraduates choosing and succeeding in STEM majors. After one semester, underrepresented minority students reported higher levels of commitment to declaring a major in STEM when they participated in a minority-focused SIP rather than the non-minority SIP. Underrepresented minority students reported having a higher level of commitment to a STEM career when they participated in minority-focused SIPs rather a non-minority SIP.

Author

• Emily Daina Saras, Florida State University