Science Identity and Its Implications for STEM Retention and Career Aspirations Through a Research-Based First-Year Biology Seminar

2022/09/01 by Krista L. Lucas, Alexis Spina, Alexis D. Spina
Engineering · Social Sciences · #Biomedical and Engineering Education #Career Development and Diversity #Higher Education Research Studies

paper · doi:10.1080/0047231x.2022.12315662

crossref issued 2022/09/01 · crossref published 2022/09/01 · crossref published-print 2022/09/01 · openalex publication_date 2022/09/01 · crossref published-online 2023/10/05 · crossref created 2023/12/06 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref deposited 2026/01/20 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28 · crossref indexed 2026/07/28

Abstract

There are more STEM jobs than there are qualified graduates to fill these positions, and recruiting students into STEM majors is insufficient. Of students who enter college intending to pursue STEM, nearly half do not finish their STEM degrees. In this article, we focus on retaining students who enter college with a declared biology major. This qualitative study examines this retention issue through the lens of identity theory, situated learning, and constructivism in the context of a research-focused biology first-year seminar at a small, private university. It was found that the six participants felt more like scientists at the conclusion of the semester-long seminar, and all were planning to remain in STEM career pathways.

Citations

• Planning and Implementing a Comprehensive Student-Centered Research Program for First-Year STEM Undergraduates
• The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers
• Is science me? High school students' identities, participation and aspirations in science, engineering, and medicine
• On understanding the nature of scientific knowledge
• Understanding the science experiences of successful women of color: Science identity as an analytic lens
• Establishing the benefits of research experiences for undergraduates in the sciences: First findings from a three‐year study