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A Comparative Analysis of Support Perceptions between Transfer and First-Time-in-College Students in Engineering, Science, and Mathematics Programs

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Student Division (STDT) Technical Session 6: Underserved Student Experiences

Tagged Division

Student Division (STDT)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

12

DOI

10.18260/1-2--42366

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/42366

Download Count

176

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Paper Authors

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Hamidreza Taimoory Virginia Tech Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-3996-4750

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Hamidreza is a Ph.D. student in Engineering Education and has a master's degree in industrial engineering at Virginia Tech (VT). He has worked in the industry as a research and development engineer. He is currently a data analyst in TLOS (Technology-Enhanced Learning And Online Strategies) at VT. His expertise is in quantitative research. His primary research interest is motivation, support, transfer students, co-curricular activities, and professional development in engineering education.

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David B. Knight Virginia Tech Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-4576-2490

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David Knight is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. He also serves as Special Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Plan Implementation and Director of Research of the Academy of Global Engineering. His research tends to be at the macro-scale, focused on a systems-level perspective of how engineering education can become more effective, efficient, and inclusive, and considers the intersection between policy and organizational contexts.

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Walter C. Lee Virginia Tech Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-5082-1411

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Dr. Walter Lee is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Education and the director for research at the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED), both at Virginia Tech.

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Abstract

Multiple reports call for engineering undergraduate programs to increase engineering enrollment while broadening field participation. The transfer pathway has been identified as a potential mechanism for achieving both goals. As the Model of Co-Curricular Supports (MCCS) demonstrates, providing support for undergraduate students is critical for supporting student success and maintaining a high college retention rate. Although providing support, in general, is important, it is also critical to pay attention to the specific needs of sub-groups of students that may require different kinds of institutional attention. Considering the needs of transfer students is one example of paying attention to a specific group. Offering support for transfer students not only contributes to their retention but also facilitates broadening participation in engineering since such students often are characterized by multiple marginalized identities in the field. Support can come in a variety of different forms, and undergraduate students can perceive various facets of support, as the MCCS asserts. Colleges need to evaluate the effectiveness of their investments across a wide range of different kinds of student supports. Regarding this matter, the STEM Student Perception of Support Instrument (STEM-SPSI) was developed to measure various support constructs perceived by students.

This research aims to explore the differential perceptions of support between transfer and first-time-in-college undergraduate engineering students using the STEM-SPSI. This instrument was developed and validated to measure various student-support constructs, including: 1- academic advising support, 2- faculty support, 3- STEM faculty connections, 4- academic peer support, 5- STEM peer connections, 6- out-of-class engagement, 7- student affairs support, 8- graduate student connections, 9- STEM career development, 10 - general career development, 11- cost-of-attendance support and planning, 12- diversity and inclusion. This research paper uses parametric and non-parametric group comparison techniques to identify differences in how transfer and first-time-in-college undergraduate students perceive support constructs. This quantitative study analyzes an online administered self-reported survey collected from more than 900 undergraduate students from nine colleges in the spring 2019 semester. Results suggest a significant difference between transfer and first-time-in-college undergraduate students in academic peer support, STEM peer connections, out-of-class engagement, and diversity and inclusion. These findings will highlight support areas that colleges need to allocate resources and suggestions for further interventions. Although it is promising that transfer students do not perceive support differences among many academic-related constructs, there does appear to be room for improvement in how we help transfer students connect with their peers in their new educational environment.

Taimoory, H., & Knight, D. B., & Lee, W. C. (2023, June), A Comparative Analysis of Support Perceptions between Transfer and First-Time-in-College Students in Engineering, Science, and Mathematics Programs Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42366

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2023 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015