Nationally, more than half of all college students who declare a major in STEM fields drop out or change their majors in the first two years of post-secondary education. Among first-generation college students in West Virginia this number may approach 70%. The First2 STEM Success Network, an NSF INCLUDES Alliance, is a cross-sector effort aimed at improving the college enrollment rate and success of undergraduate STEM students, with emphasis on rural first-generation students in West Virginia. At the core of our shared vision is the inclusion of students themselves as co-creators of the solutions. First2 is an outgrowth of a two-year pilot project funded by the National Science Foundation in 2016. During the pilot, we began to create and test interventions that address the underlying reasons for attrition in STEM majors, and to develop a preliminary research program to better understand rural first-generation STEM students, a population for which there is scant existing research. We engaged 36 rural first-generation students in some combination of early STEM research experiences, an online discovery-based "principles of research and development" college seminar, a “hometown ambassador” program, and leadership training. We also developed and administered an online survey to an additional 101 first generation students attending West Virginia University and Fairmont State University. This presentation describes the research and evaluation findings from the pilot project and implications for the Network moving forward. The First2 Network Design and Development Pilot Project was supported by National Science Foundation INCLUDES Award No. 1649323.
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This content will become publicly available on April 18, 2025
Exploring mathematic struggles among STEM students at Fairmont State University
Mathematics serves as the cornerstone of every STEM major, and proficiency in this subject is paramount for achieving academic success, societal integration, and meaningful participation in the workplace. However, numerous students encounter challenges in mastering mathematical concepts. In West Virginia, students face an additional hurdle, poverty, with households in the state ranking among the lowest earners in the nation. This can have significant implications for the funding and resources available to the West Virginia School System. Recognizing the interplay between socioeconomic factors and academic performance is crucial for devising targeted interventions and providing necessary support. In pursuit of this understanding, during the 2023-2024 school year, we administered a survey in 50 STEM courses at Fairmont State University (n = 447) and collected data from the LEAD Center on tutoring. Preliminary results show that math made up 50% and chemistry 37% of requested tutoring subjects in STEM and 69.7% receiving tutoring were in their first two years. Survey demographics are the following: gender identity: 212 male, 212 female, and 4 non-binary; economic status: 82% were middle class, 13% working class, and 4% on assistance; 29.5% are first generation; 62% are within their first two years of study. The most common math completed in high school was algebra (24.8%), trigonometry (34%), and calculus (24.4%). There was a strong correlation between major and enjoying math (0.99) and having a good math teacher in high school (0.62). Through data analysis and working with students directly, our goal is to discover why students struggle with math and how to better prepare future generations.
more » « less- PAR ID:
- 10534783
- Editor(s):
- Horzempa, Joseph
- Publisher / Repository:
- West Virginia Academy of Science
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the West Virginia Academy of Science
- Volume:
- 96
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 0096-4263
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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