Improving Outcomes for STEM Students on Academic Probation

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest in a diverse, well-prepared STEM workforce. Toward this goal, it will study a large population of students who are on academic probation and at high risk of leaving STEM majors. Academic probation is a designation given to students who are underperforming academically and at risk of being dismissed from the university. Data shows that around a quarter of all U.S. college students will find themselves on academic probation at least once in their college career. As a result, the findings of this study will be relevant to over 5 million college students in any given year. The limited information available suggests that a significant percentage of students who are placed on academic probation will eventually leave the university. However, little is known about the factors, attitudes, and practices that distinguish the students who recover from academic probation and go on to graduate from those students who do not recover. This research study will be designed to provide a better understanding of what factors affect the likelihood that students on academic probation will return to good academic standing and become active members of the STEM workforce. The findings from this study will be used to develop data-driven, targeted interventions that focus on the needs of different student populations, including those who are first generation college students and/or are from low income families or races/ethnicities thus far underrepresented in the sciences. This project will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to document in detail the impact of academic probation status on STEM students, as well as use the information to develop models and predict which students will recover. The project will study the academic, demographic, cognitive, and affective factors that are associated with increased likelihood of students on academic probation returning to good academic standing and graduation. Specifically, it will use multilevel regression to develop a predictive model of the relationship between student academic and demographic factors and the likelihood of graduation for students who are on academic probation. In addition, it will compare science identity, self-efficacy, sense of belonging and commitment to STEM major between students on academic probation and those in good academic standing. This project aims to infer how science identity, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging in STEM are differentially impacted by academic probation and how they correlate to the likelihood of students returning to good academic standing. Finally, the project will conduct a qualitative evaluation of student experiences while on academic probation to identify barriers to recovery that need to be addressed when designing targeted interventions for these students. Qualitative data will be analyzed through the frameworks of intersectionality, Critical Race Theory, and LatCrit. This project is supported by the NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education Program: Education and Human Resources, which supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. This project is in the Engaged Student Learning track, through which the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.