The Importance of Community Colleges in Students' Choice to Major in STEM
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| Title: | The Importance of Community Colleges in Students' Choice to Major in STEM |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Bottia, Martha Cecilia (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Higher Education. 2020 91(7):1116-1148. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 33 |
| Publication Date: | 2020 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: | 1420363 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education Two Year Colleges High Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Community Colleges, College Attendance, Majors (Students), STEM Education, Longitudinal Studies, High School Graduates, State Universities, Undergraduate Students, College Transfer Students, First Generation College Students, Economically Disadvantaged, Socioeconomic Status, Correlation, Graduation Rate, Educational Attainment |
| Geographic Terms: | North Carolina |
| DOI: | 10.1080/00221546.2020.1742032 |
| ISSN: | 0022-1546 |
| Abstract: | This article investigates whether attending a community college is related to an increase in the number of students majoring and graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at four-year colleges. We follow a longitudinal sample of students in North Carolina from middle school through college graduation, including some who attended a community college. Our multilevel models indicate that for our sample of students, who attended a four-year institution and declared a major within 6 years of high school graduation, ever attending a community college and/or starting post-secondary education at a community college have a significant positive relationship with their likelihood of declaring and graduating with a STEM major. Results hold true even after controlling for sample self-selection through propensity score matching techniques. Our findings also show that the benefits of community college attendance on students' likelihood of declaring and graduating with a STEM major are not restricted to only low-SES students. Overall, this study supports the notion that two-year colleges could work as means of helping push students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds into STEM. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2020 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1271732 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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