Understanding STEM Identity on Student Academic Progression in General Chemistry

Ellis, J; Castillo, A;Cameron Bechard Legron-Rodriguez, T; Lapeyrouse, N

University of Central Florida

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Education has shown a STEM attrition rate of approximately 50% among STEM undergraduates. With this concerning trend and the perpetuating decline of STEM professionals within the workforce, this study aims to better understand the STEM turnover rate by observing students’ undergraduate STEM identity. Identity is defined as one’s perception of themselves in relation to the world around them. In application to STEM academia, the successful development of identity attributes to a student’s manifestation of professional identity, where students in the future may identify themselves as professionals within a job field. There has been a link between professional identity and student success in undergraduate progression. Thus, understanding gaps in identity development as well as exploring reasons why some students fail to develop such professional identity is crucial. A qualitative survey was given to various courses taught under the Department of Chemistry during the spring of 2022 and fall of 2023 at the beginning and end of each semester. The following presentation will focus on students enrolled in the first semester of general chemistry. Responses were coded through thematic analysis, identifying trends within student responses while also considering demographic, social, and economic factors in context to the response, where quantitative measures in statistical frequency in certain responses were utilized to generate a theme. Prominent themes influencing student STEM identity were directionality, mindset, class difficulty, lack of self-confidence, and financial incentives. Understanding why some students fail to develop such professional identity will help institutions develop curriculum adjustments and tailored programs to aid students to succeed to mitigate academic and professional shortcomings.