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2002 - Effects of High School Course-Taking and Other Variables on Choice of Science and Mathematics College Majors

Attribution: Trusty, Jerry
Researchers: Jerry Trusty
University Affiliation: Pennsylvania State University
Email: gt3@psu.edu
Research Question:
To examine the effects of taking particular academically intensive science and mathematics high school courses on choice of science and mathematics majors, versus other majors, in college.
Published: Yes
Journal Name or Institutional Affiliation: Journal of Counseling and Development
Journal Entry: Vol. 80, No. 4, Pp. 464-474
Year: 2002
Findings:
  1. Effects of course-taking on choice of science and math majors were stronger for women than for men.
  2. For women, 8th-grade math test scores positively influenced math course-taking in high school, which in turn positively influenced later choice of science and math majors.
  3. The effect of taking calculus was particularly strong for women. Taking one high school unit in calculus more than doubled the odds of later choosing a science and math major.
  4. For men, completing high school physics had a significant positive effect on choice of science and math majors.
  5. Only physics had a significant positive effect for men on choice of science and math majors, and this effect was not particularly strong.
  6. Mathematics learning experiences seem to influence choice of science and math majors more for women, and science learning experiences seem to influence choice more for men.
  7. Increases in SES resulted in large increases in choice of science and math majors for Hispanic men and moderate increases for African American men. Regardless of SES, Asian/Pacific Islander men were comparatively high and White and Native American men were comparatively low in choice of science and math majors.
  8. Men’s intra-individual comparative perceptions of their math skills (math self-perceptions) had a relatively strong effect on choice of a science and math major. Also, the degree of computer use in high school had a positive effect for men. Neither of these effects was present for women.
  9. The processes of career choice for women and men seem to differ substantially, at least regarding choice of science and math majors and fields.
Scholarship Types: Journal Article Reporting Empirical ResearchKeywords: College Major ChoiceCourse-Taking PatternsGenderHigh SchoolRaceSTEMRegions: NationalMethodologies: QuantitativeResearch Designs: Secondary Survey DataAnalysis Methods: Descriptive StatisticsLogistic Regression Sampling Frame:High school to college students
Sampling Types: Nationally RepresentativeAnalysis Units: StudentData Types: Quantitative-Longitudinal
Data Description:
  • This study utilizes Krumboltz’s (1979) social learning theory of career decision making. According to Krumboltz’s (1979) theoretical formulations, individuals and environments interact in producing educational and occupational choices. In Krumboltz’s framework, course-taking is conceptualized as both learning experiences and career-related actions.
  • Participants were 2,956 women and 2,747 men who were a subsample from the transcript panel sample of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988-94. Data used were from several NELS:88 sources spanning 6 years: (a) the parent questionnaire, student questionnaire, and academic tests administered when students were in the 8th grade (Base Year); (b) student questionnaires administered at the 10th-grade level (First Follow-Up) and 12th-grade level (Second Follow-Up); (c) high school transcript data; and (d) the student questionnaire completed 2 years after high school graduation (Third Follow-Up).
  • The dependent variable was choice of a science and math major versus other majors.
  • The independent variables:
    • Background variables were SES and race/ethnicity. The SES variable was a composite variable that included family income, parents’ educational levels, and occupational prestige.
    • Academic performance variables included 8th-grade science and math scores.
    • Educational attitudes and behavior variables were (a) general educational attitudes, (b) mathematics self-perceptions, (c) the amount of time spent on homework outside school, and (d) the amount of time spent using personal computers.
    • Course-taking behavior was measured if the student took the courses (a) biology, (b) chemistry, (c) physics, (d) algebra II, (e) geometry, (f) trigonometry, (g) pre-calculus, and (h) calculus.
  • Separate analyses were performed for gender. The Race-Ethnicity × SES interaction, was investigated through post hoc analyses.
Theoretical Framework:
Relevance:STEM Entrance and Majoring in STEM
Archives: K-16 STEM Abstracts
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