Multi-institutional study of GRE scores as predictors of STEM PhD degree completion: GRE gets a low mark
Multi-institutional study of GRE scores as predictors of STEM PhD degree completion: GRE gets a low mark
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0206570
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发表时间：
2018-10-29
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Gile, Krista
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Petersen, Sandra L.;Erenrich, Evelyn S.;Gile, Krista
在过去的几十年里，选择可能完成科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）博士课程的学生的过程并没有发生很大变化，并且在大多数美国大学中仍然严重依赖研究生入学考试（GRE）成绩。长期以来，人们一直在争论GRE是否是一个合适的选择工具，以及过度依赖GRE成绩是否会影响STEM学生的录取。尽管对GRE考试有很多担忧，但很少有研究考察GRE在预测博士学位完成方面的有效性，更少的研究在STEM领域考察这个问题。在本研究中，我们利用东北研究生教育联盟和教授协会（NEAGEP）机构之间的长期合作，收集了1805年美国GRE成绩和博士学位完成情况的可比数据。在四个州旗舰机构的永久居民STEM博士生。我们发现，GRE口头（GRE V）和GRE定量（GRE Q）分数对于完成STEM博士学位的女性和那些离开课程的女性是相似的。值得注意的是，离开的男性的GRE成绩明显高于完成STEM博士学位的男性。事实上，GRE V或Q分数处于较低四分位数的男性比那些处于最高四分位数的男性更容易完成学位。这一模式适用于研究中的四所大学以及各大学的男性工程专业学生。GRE成绩也不能预测获得学位的时间，也不能确定哪些学生会在第一年离开。我们的研究结果表明，GRE成绩不是一个有效的工具，以确定谁将成功完成STEM博士课程的学生。考虑到博士课程的高流失成本及其对美国STEM劳动力未来领导力的影响，我们建议现在是时候制定更有效和包容的招生策略了。
The process of selecting students likely to complete science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) doctoral programs has not changed greatly over the last few decades and still relies heavily on Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores in most U.S. universities. It has been long debated whether the GRE is an appropriate selection tool and whether overreliance on GRE scores may compromise admission of students historically underrepresented in STEM. Despite many concerns about the test, there are few studies examining the efficacy of the GRE in predicting PhD completion and even fewer examining this question in STEM fields. For the present study, we took advantage of a long-lived collaboration among institutions in the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP) to gather comparable data on GRE scores and PhD completion for 1805 U.S./Permanent Resident STEM doctoral students in four state flagship institutions. We found that GRE Verbal (GRE V) and GRE Quantitative (GRE Q) scores were similar for women who completed STEM PhD degrees and those who left programs. Remarkably, GRE scores were significantly higher for men who left than counterparts who completed STEM PhD degrees. In fact, men in the lower quartiles of GRE V or Q scores finished degrees more often than those in the highest quartile. This pattern held for each of the four institutions in the study and for the cohort of male engineering students across institutions. GRE scores also failed to predict time to degree or to identify students who would leave during the first year of their programs. Our results suggests that GRE scores are not an effective tool for identifying students who will be successful in completing STEM doctoral programs. Considering the high cost of attrition from PhD programs and its impact on future leadership for the U.S. STEM workforce, we suggest that it is time to develop more effective and inclusive admissions strategies.