Author(s):
GRANT: IUSE:EHR ESL Level 1 Project 2235705 / Retention through Innovative Scaffolded Education (RISE) in Self-Regulated Learning and Sense of Belonging
POSTER TITLE: Can we improve retention by training STEM undergraduate majors in effective self-regulation of learning?
POSTER ABSTRACT
Need: Attrition is a significant issue for STEM undergraduate majors: on average 49% of students transfer to another major or leave college completely by their 8th year of study, with even greater rates for STEM majors who are under-represented minorities or women. Barring financial barriers to retention, the most significant drivers of attrition are reported to be difficulty in adjusting to academic and life needs and resolving educational and occupational goals, and feelings of isolation. We posit that the former impediments are closely related to ineffective Self-Regulation of Learning (SRL), since SRL addresses an individual’s behaviors and strategies as an independent and reflective learner, and their motivation to sustain effort when challenged. We posit that the latter impediment is closely related to a lack of sense of belonging (SOB), since SOB addresses an individual’s cognition, affects, and behavior around their perceived legitimacy as a member of a community who is included, involved, valued, and accepted. Further, it documented that many students enter college with ineffective SRL, and that under-represented students like minorities and females have fewer relatable peers and so are more at risk of having a low sense of belonging in college.
Guiding question: Can retention be improved by systematically training students in effective SRL strategies and by building their sense of belonging?
Outcomes: This project draws upon published research of educational psychology social-cognitive frameworks around SOB and SRL, and the findings of a prior NSF-funded study and a pilot study, to uniquely develop and refine an intervention that synergistically interweaves the learning of STEM topics with developing effective SRL and building SOB.
In the first year, sophomores receive training in SRL to improve their metacognitive knowledge, awareness, and experience, and develop personalized and adaptable strategies for building effective SRL. In the second year, a new cohort of sophomores receive training in SOB to build their SOB and are peer-mentored in SOB by trained juniors to build peer connections in the community. And in the third year, yet another cohort of sophomores receive training in both SRL and SOB and are peer-mentored by trained juniors in both SRL and SOB. Approximately 300 civil engineering students will experience the intervention over the three-years.
This project is completing its first year and this poster summarizes the first-year results including student perception of the importance and helpfulness of the intervention, and statistics regarding uptake of SRL, SRL effectiveness, SOB, and performance in major courses taken alongside the intervention.
Broader impacts: This project creatively incorporates evidence-based advances in educational psychology and education into undergraduate STEM education and lays the groundwork for significant institutional improvement in undergraduate STEM programs by offering a replicable, transferable, and adaptable design.
Coauthors
Peggy P. Chen, CUNY – Hunter College, New York, NY
