STEM education is becoming more important for
nations that desire to foster their innovative flames for higher economic
development. The problem is that the
U.S. is falling behind many countries in their approach to the basics of
scientific development. Research by Soldner, et. al (2012) offers some
solutions for encouraging STEM students to continue their goals until
graduation.
One out of seven American students, one out of two
students in China and one out of three students in Singapore are engage in core STEM education such as science,
math, and engineering (National Academies, 2007). The shift marks an
unsustainable path for American innovation and ingenuity that may rear its ugly
head 30 years down the road. As a nation, we are losing our dominance on
multiple fronts starting deeply in our educational progressiveness.
Students who start college in the STEM fields often
leave for other fields based on a whole range of reasons related from
skill to interest. Minorities and women are even less represented in such
fields. It is believed that our primary and secondary educational systems are
to blame for the inability to prepare students to study and graduate in the
scientific fields.
Social Cognitive Theory is one way in which to
understand how students prepare, persist, and graduate in such fields. The
three social cognitive variables are self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and
goals. Students who are likely to stay in programs believe they can, expect
positive results, and believe their goals will be achieved.
The researchers collaborated with approximately 46 universities
to understand how life-learn programs and traditional residency programs influence the
graduation rates of STEM students. They found that those who were part of
live-learn programs with others of similar STEM fields were more likely to
graduate than those who were living with the general population. They also
found that those who were not in the core STEM programs did not receive much of
a benefit from live-learn programs.
The report does not discuss online education.
However, it is possible envision how personal profiles, cohorts in the STEM
fields, and a pseudo-online community networking could influence the graduation
rates of online STEM students. Through personal expression with peers, students can
develop personal relationships that supports them throughout their academic
time.
National Science Board. (2007). A national plan for addressing the critical
needs of U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education
system. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
Soldner, et. al. (2012). Supporting
students intentions to persist in STEM disciplines: the role of living-learning
programs among other social-cognitive factors. Journal of Higher Education, 83 (3).
