Science and engineering degree attainment of aspiring-scientists in the United States

Bibliographic Data

ID21589613
AuthorsMaria Adamuti-Trache (Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA), Maria Adamuti‐Trache (0000-0001-5021-9885, The University of Texas at Arlington, corresponding author), Yi Zhang (0000-0002-7581-7061, The University of Texas at Arlington), Yi Leaf Zhang (0000-0003-3644-356X, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA)
Year2022
Volume44
Issue14
Pages1-22
Publication date2022-09-22
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Science Education, Part B (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2154-8455 • E-ISSN: 2154-8463
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09500693.2022.2119898
OpenAlexW4295539931
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited48

This study uses the Education Longitudinal Survey of 2002 (ELS:2002) to examine how varying levels of intention (planning) and action (choice) in pursuing a science-based major affect American college students’ degree attainment in Science and Engineering (S&E) fields by age 26. The study is guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory’s performance model that is appropriate to examine educational attainment. A key element of the theory consists in personal goals to engage in STEM education in college. In this paper, we view students’ intention to pursue specific college majors and/or actual action to enrol in a specific major as an expression of aspirational goals associated with degree attainment, so closer the intention-action gap, more likely to attain the goal. The proposed aspiring-scientist typology appears to be the main determinant of S&E degree attainment by age 26, when controlling for socio-demographic, pre-college, and postsecondary factors. Students with high level of science aspirations have greater chance to complete an S&E degree. Medium-aspiration students are more likely to complete non-S&E degrees, after starting in science-based majors. Low-aspiration students are more likely to attain certificate/associate degrees in any field or be non-completers

Certificate · Educational attainment · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Political science · Science education · Sociology · Typology · Career Development and Diversity · Higher Education and Employability · Higher Education Research Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

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