Board # 93 : The Role of High School Math and Science Course Access in Student College Engineering Major Choice and Degree Attainment

Joyce B. Main; Rajeev Darolia; Cory Koedel; Junpeng Yan; Jean Felix Ndashimye

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Publication Date: June 24, 2017
Start Date: June 24, 2017
End Date: June 28, 2017
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--27957
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/27957
Download Count: 587

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

Joyce B. Main Purdue University, West Lafayette (College of Engineering) orcid.org/0000-0002-3984-533X

visit author page

Joyce B. Main is Assistant Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University. She holds a Ph.D. in Learning, Teaching, and Social Policy from Cornell University, and an Ed.M. in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

visit author page

biography

Rajeev Darolia University of Missouri

visit author page

Rajeev Darolia is Assistant Professor and Director of Research of the Institute of Public Policy at the University of Missouri. He holds a PhD in Public Policy from George Washington University.

visit author page

biography

Cory Koedel University of Missouri

visit author page

Cory Koedel is an Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the University of Missouri.

visit author page

biography

Junpeng Yan University of Missouri

visit author page

Junpeng Yan is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri. He holds a master's degree in economics from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in China.

visit author page

biography

Jean Felix Ndashimye Univesity of Missouri-Columbia

visit author page

Jean Felix Ndashimye is a doctoral student in the Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Ndashimye holds a Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Missouri. His main research interests are program evaluation and education policy.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

Previous research has documented numerous factors that impede the progress of women and underrepresented minorities in engineering fields, which can be broadly categorized into six factors: “classroom and academic climate, grades and conceptual understanding, self-efficacy and self-confidence, high school preparation, interest and career goals, and race and gender” (Geisinger and Raman, 2013). While high school preparation is a critical determinant in student success, many of the connections between high school characteristics and college outcomes have not been thoroughly studied. This study helps fill this important knowledge gap by examining how high school math and science course taking, as well as access to high school math and science courses, explain engineering major choice and degree attainment in college.

To identify the connection between high school math and science courses and college engineering major choice and degree completion, we apply both descriptive and regression analyses. We use comprehensive administrative data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The sample includes all public high schools (grades 10-12) in Missouri between 1996 and 2009. Data include student-level demographic information and academic transcripts, and high school-level characteristics (e.g., proportion of students on free and reduced lunch, number of math and science offered, and level of urbanicity).

The number of math and sciences credits offered at high schools may determine the level of preparation prospective engineering students in college have and should also be taken into account when designing first-year engineering courses. High school characteristics help shape the opportunities and experiences of students, and should be considered in college recruitment strategies and in the evaluation of individual college applications. Therefore, our findings have important implications for understanding how to prepare high school students to pursue college engineering majors, as well as for college engineering programs to consider how high school academic records should be considered in terms of admissions policies.

Citation
Format

Main, J. B., & Darolia, R., & Koedel, C., & Yan, J., & Ndashimye, J. F. (2017, June), Board # 93 : The Role of High School Math and Science Course Access in Student College Engineering Major Choice and Degree Attainment Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--27957

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Previous research has documented numerous factors that impede the progress of women and underrepresented minorities in engineering fields, which can be broadly categorized into six factors: “classroom and academic climate, grades and conceptual understanding, self-efficacy and self-confidence, high school preparation, interest and career goals, and race and gender” (Geisinger and Raman, 2013). While high school preparation is a critical determinant in student success, many of the connections between high school characteristics and college outcomes have not been thoroughly studied. This study helps fill this important knowledge gap by examining how high school math and science course taking, as well as access to high school math and science courses, explain engineering major choice and degree attainment in college.

To identify the connection between high school math and science courses and college engineering major choice and degree completion, we apply both descriptive and regression analyses. We use comprehensive administrative data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The sample includes all public high schools (grades 10-12) in Missouri between 1996 and 2009. Data include student-level demographic information and academic transcripts, and high school-level characteristics (e.g., proportion of students on free and reduced lunch, number of math and science offered, and level of urbanicity). 

The number of math and sciences credits offered at high schools may determine the level of preparation prospective engineering students in college have and should also be taken into account when designing first-year engineering courses. High school characteristics help shape the opportunities and experiences of students, and should be considered in college recruitment strategies and in the evaluation of individual college applications. Therefore, our findings have important implications for understanding how to prepare high school students to pursue college engineering majors, as well as for college engineering programs to consider how high school academic records should be considered in terms of admissions policies.

AU  - Joyce B. Main
AU  - Rajeev Darolia
AU  - Cory Koedel
AU  - Junpeng Yan
AU  - Jean Felix Ndashimye
CY  - Columbus, Ohio
DA  - 2017/06/24
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board # 93 : The Role of High School Math and Science Course Access in Student College Engineering Major Choice and Degree Attainment
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/27957
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--27957
ER  -