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Abstract Introductory STEM courses represent entry points into a major, and student experiences in these courses can affect both their persistence and success in STEM disciplines. Identifying course-based student concerns may help instructors detect negative perceptions, areas of struggle, and potential barriers to success. Using an open-response survey question, we identified 13 common concerns expressed by students in introductory STEM courses. We converted these student-generated concerns into closed-ended items that were administered at the beginning and middle of the semester to students in 22 introductory STEM course sections across three different institutions. Students were asked to reflect on each item on a scale from very concerned to not concerned. A subset of these concerns was used to create a summary score of course-based concern for each student. Overall levels of student concern decreased from the first week to the middle of the semester; however, this pattern varied across different demographic groups. In particular, when controlling for initial concern and course grades, female students held higher levels of concern than their peers. Since student perceptions can impact their experiences, addressing concerns through communication and instructional practices may improve students’ overall experiences and facilitate their success.
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A more positive mindset context is associated with better student outcomes in STEM, particularly for traditional-age students
Background Students' beliefs about their ability to grow in STEM disciplines have been linked to better course outcomes. However, such mindset beliefs are subject to the environmental cues projected by the instructor in the classroom, which we refer to as the mindset context. Recent meta-analyses indicated heterogeneity in the benefits of student mindset interventions, which the classroom environment may shape. In this work, we use structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate the mindset context and its impact on students’ affect and performance in STEM courses, particularly for students from marginalized groups who may be disproportionately affected by these factors. Results We collected student perceptions of their instructors’ universality beliefs about student abilities (all people or only some people can reach excellence in STEM), students’ growth beliefs, sense of belonging (as measured by peer support, faculty support, and classroom comfort) and course grades. The sample was collected from courses in a STEM college within a demographically diverse, moderately selective institution in the Southern United States (N = 625). We found that student perceptions of the mindset context did not directly predict course grades, but ACT scores did (standardized exams used for college entry in the USA). However, SEM analysis revealed that when students perceived instructors to believe only some students can succeed in STEM (endorse more non-universal beliefs), they reported fewer growth beliefs about their abilities in STEM. This led to less classroom comfort in contributing to class discussions, ultimately lowering STEM grades. Multigroup moderation analysis showed no differences in paths based on race, gender, and generational status. However, the mindset context impacted traditional students’ (age of 18–22) growth beliefs to a greater extent than non-traditional students (> 22 years old). Additionally, classroom comfort significantly predicted grades for traditional students but not for non-traditional students. Conclusions Our finding suggests that when students perceive the mindset context more positively, their outcomes improve, especially for traditional students who may be more sensitive to classroom cues. Thus, mindset interventions for faculty (coupled with student interventions) may also be beneficial to supporting student success. Additionally, we recommend improving student content preparation to enhance foundational knowledge, considering that indicators of prior preparation (ACT scores) play a more direct role in predicting student grades.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2142611
- PAR ID:
- 10638826
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- International Journal of STEM Education
- Volume:
- 12
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2196-7822
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Student perceptions, Lay theories, Universal and non-universal beliefs, ULTrA survey, Undergraduate STEM, Growth beliefs, Sense of belonging, Performance, Structural equation modeling, Multigroup moderation, Social cognitive theory
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-025-00535-5
