Thriving in STEM: A Mixed Methods Approach to Describing, Comparing, and Analyzing Factors that Contribute to First-Year Student Thriving in a Rigorous STEM Major at a Tier One Institution

Abstract

Persistence is an area of ongoing concern in higher education, specifically in STEM fields. Creating supportive environments for engaging students upon entry is helpful for student thriving and persistence. The dissertation followed a three-article format and utilized Schreiner’s Thriving model as the conceptual framework. The first project described thriving levels of first time in college students within the Department of Entomology. Comparisons between first-generation and non-first-generation students found no statistically significant differences among thriving factor components. Statistically significant differences were found related to feelings of belonging, with first-generation students scoring significantly lower than non-first-generation students. The second project used a semi-structured interview method and included six, purposively sampled participants of a student-run, volunteer, peer mentorship program within the Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program. Participants provided feedback related to their peer mentorship participation and peer mentorship outcome categories were developed from response themes. Participant benefits were explored, and peer mentorship program perceived weaknesses were identified. The third quasi-experimental study compared thriving levels from a historical sample of first-year students to a subsequent sample of first-year students, after a first-year seminar experience intervention treatment. No significant differences were found between cohort years after the treatment or between first-generation students and their non-first-generation student peers for the five thriving factor components. However, first-generation students had statistically significant higher persistence intentions than their non-first-generation peers. Large positive correlations were found among persistence intentions and the thriving factors of engaged learning, academic determination, diverse citizenship, sense of community, a medium positive correlation was found between persistence intentions and positive perspective, and a small positive correlation was found between persistence intentions and spirituality. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are provided.