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A Measure of College Student Persistence in the Sciences (PITS)

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Title: A Measure of College Student Persistence in the Sciences (PITS)
Language: English
Authors: Hanauer, David I., Graham, Mark J., Hatfull, Graham F.
Source: CBE - Life Sciences Education. Dec 2016 15(4).
Availability: American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2016
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: College Students, Academic Persistence, Psychometrics, Predictive Validity, Student Surveys, Regression (Statistics), Psychological Evaluation, Predictive Measurement, Biology, Item Analysis, Test Reliability, Test Validity, Factor Analysis, Statistical Significance, Statistical Analysis
Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania
DOI: 10.1187/cbe.15-09-0185
ISSN: 1931-7913
Abstract: Curricular changes that promote undergraduate persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are likely associated with particular student psychological outcomes, and tools are needed that effectively assess these developments. Here, we describe the theoretical basis, psychometric properties, and predictive abilities of the Persistence in the Sciences (PITS) assessment survey designed to measure these in course-based research experiences (CREs). The survey is constructed from existing psychological assessment instruments, incorporating a six-factor structure consisting of project ownership (emotion and content), self-efficacy, science identity, scientific community values, and networking, and is supported by a partial confirmatory factor analysis. The survey has strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: a = 0.96) and was validated using standard simple and multiple regression analyses. The regression analyses demonstrated that the factors of the PITS survey were significant predictors of the intent to become a research scientist and, as such, potentially valid for the measurement of persistence in the sciences. The PITS survey provides an effective method for measuring the psychological outcomes of undergraduate research experiences relevant to persistence in STEM and offers an approach to the development and validation of more sophisticated assessment tools that recognize the specificities of the type of educational opportunities embedded in a CRE.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 22
Entry Date: 2016
Accession Number: EJ1119306
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: A Measure of College Student Persistence in the Sciences (PITS)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hanauer%2C+David+I%2E%22">Hanauer, David I.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Graham%2C+Mark+J%2E%22">Graham, Mark J.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hatfull%2C+Graham+F%2E%22">Hatfull, Graham F.</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22CBE+-+Life+Sciences+Education%22"><i>CBE - Life Sciences Education</i></searchLink>. Dec 2016 15(4).
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  Data: American Society for Cell Biology. 8120 Woodmont Avenue Suite 750, Bethesda, MD 20814-2762. Tel: 301-347-9300; Fax: 301-347-9310; e-mail: ascbinfo@ascb.org; Website: http://www.ascb.org
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  Data: 10
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Persistence%22">Academic Persistence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychometrics%22">Psychometrics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Predictive+Validity%22">Predictive Validity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Surveys%22">Student Surveys</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Regression+%28Statistics%29%22">Regression (Statistics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Evaluation%22">Psychological Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Predictive+Measurement%22">Predictive Measurement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biology%22">Biology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Item+Analysis%22">Item Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+Reliability%22">Test Reliability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+Validity%22">Test Validity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Factor+Analysis%22">Factor Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+Significance%22">Statistical Significance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+Analysis%22">Statistical Analysis</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pennsylvania%22">Pennsylvania</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1187/cbe.15-09-0185
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  Data: 1931-7913
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: Curricular changes that promote undergraduate persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines are likely associated with particular student psychological outcomes, and tools are needed that effectively assess these developments. Here, we describe the theoretical basis, psychometric properties, and predictive abilities of the Persistence in the Sciences (PITS) assessment survey designed to measure these in course-based research experiences (CREs). The survey is constructed from existing psychological assessment instruments, incorporating a six-factor structure consisting of project ownership (emotion and content), self-efficacy, science identity, scientific community values, and networking, and is supported by a partial confirmatory factor analysis. The survey has strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: a = 0.96) and was validated using standard simple and multiple regression analyses. The regression analyses demonstrated that the factors of the PITS survey were significant predictors of the intent to become a research scientist and, as such, potentially valid for the measurement of persistence in the sciences. The PITS survey provides an effective method for measuring the psychological outcomes of undergraduate research experiences relevant to persistence in STEM and offers an approach to the development and validation of more sophisticated assessment tools that recognize the specificities of the type of educational opportunities embedded in a CRE.
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  Data: 2016
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  Data: EJ1119306
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      – SubjectFull: College Students
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      – SubjectFull: Psychometrics
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      – SubjectFull: Predictive Validity
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      – SubjectFull: Student Surveys
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      – SubjectFull: Pennsylvania
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