Math or Science? Using Longitudinal Expectations Data to Examine the Process of Choosing a College Major
Math or Science? Using Longitudinal Expectations Data to Examine the Process of Choosing a College Major
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数学还是科学？
DOI：
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发表时间：
2011
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Ralph Stinebrickner
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Todd R. Stinebrickner;Ralph Stinebrickner
主要由于难以获得理想的数据，关于如何确定大学专业还有很多未知之处。我们利用伯里亚小组研究的纵向期望数据来提供关于这个问题的新证据，特别关注是否主修数学和科学的选择。数据收集和分析直接基于一个简单的概念模型，该模型考虑到，从理论角度来看，学生的最终专业最好被视为学习过程的最终结果。我们发现，学生进入大学时，对数学或科学专业的选择与其他专业一样开放，但大量学生在意识到他们的成绩将大大低于预期后，就放弃了数学和科学专业。此外，对成绩的看法发生变化是因为学生意识到他们在数学/科学方面的能力低于预期，而不是因为学生意识到他们不愿意在数学或科学专业上付出实质性的努力。研究结果表明，在学生进入大学时，让他们为学习数学或科学做好更充分准备的政策，在年轻时具有潜在的重要性。
Due primarily to the difficulty of obtaining ideal data, much remains unknown about how college majors are determined. We take advantage of longitudinal expectations data from the Berea Panel Study to provide new evidence about this issue, paying particular attention to the choice of whether to major in math and science. The data collection and analysis are based directly on a simple conceptual model which takes into account that, from a theoretical perspective, a student's final major is best viewed as the end result of a learning process. We find that students enter college as open to a major in math or science as to any other major group, but that a large number of students move away from math and science after realizing that their grade performance will be substantially lower than expected. Further, changes in beliefs about grade performance arise because students realize that their ability in math/science is lower than expected rather than because students realize that they are not willing to put substantial effort into math or science majors. The findings suggest the potential importance of policies at younger ages which lead students to enter college better prepared to study math or science.