Determining what factors dictate STEM student retention

The researchers have been working to study the factors that determine why undergraduate students who initially declare a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) major leave their field of study, as well as investigating potential means to improve retention rates in STEM majors. This study was inspired by Seymour and Hewitt’s work, and our curiosity to know how things may or may not have changed in subsequent years. After conducting multiple one-on-one interviews with students at two University System of Georgia schools, data was analyzed from the recordings and coded independently by researchers to find common themes among students who chose to remain a STEM major, or among those that chose to change to a non-STEM major. Potential solutions for increasing the STEM retention rates were formulated for possible use by these programs in the years to come, and common themes among retained STEM majors will be discussed