Main, J., & Griffith, A. (2022, August), The Impact of Math and Science Remedial Education  on Engineering Major Choice, Degree Attainment, and Time to Degree  Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40864

\bibitem{asee_peer_40864}
  Main, J., \& Griffith, A. (2022, August), \emph{The Impact of Math and Science Remedial Education  on Engineering Major Choice, Degree Attainment, and Time to Degree}
  Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Minneapolis, MN.
  10.18260/1-2--40864

Joyce Main and Amanda Griffith.  "The Impact of Math and Science Remedial Education  on Engineering Major Choice, Degree Attainment, and Time to Degree".  2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN, 2022, August.  ASEE Conferences, 2022.  https://peer.asee.org/40864 Internet.  13 May, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_40864}
  Joyce Main and Amanda Griffith.
  "The Impact of Math and Science Remedial Education  on Engineering Major Choice, Degree Attainment, and Time to Degree".
  \emph{2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, Minneapolis, MN, 2022, August}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2022.
  https://peer.asee.org/40864 Internet.  13 May, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_40864
author = "Joyce Main and Amanda Griffith"
title = "The Impact of Math and Science Remedial Education  on Engineering Major Choice, Degree Attainment, and Time to Degree"
booktitle = "2022 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2022"
month = "August"
address = "Minneapolis, MN"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/40864}
number = {10.18260/1-2--40864}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Despite limited and mixed evidence regarding its efficacy, the use of postsecondary remedial education is widespread. Remedial education is often provided as an intervention that could potentially promote the success of students with lower academic preparation. In this study, we examine the impact of remedial education on students’ engineering pathways and influence on graduation probability. In particular, engineering programs may offer remedial courses to students who may not have had opportunities to take more advanced mathematics and science courses during high school. Our data come from a selective engineering program at a top Midwestern university that requires first-year engineering to complete remedial classes in chemistry, math, and physics if their high school background did not provide them with the preparation to begin the traditional engineering course sequence. Although this is a single-institution study, this setting allows us to examine the impact of remedial courses on students at a four-year institution. This focus extends the literature on remedial education, which tends to focus on two-year colleges and less-selective four-year settings.  

Using regression analyses on a sample of 33,369 students who matriculated between 2001 and 2016, we found that students taking remedial mathematics, chemistry, or physics college courses had a significantly lower probability of declaring an engineering major on time (typically in the second semester of college). Among those who declare engineering, remedial education is also associated with a lower graduation probability.  Students who take remedial coursework that do graduate are less likely to do so in an engineering major, and they take roughly one third of an additional year in order to complete their degree.  Remediation appears to have less of a negative impact on female and racially minoritized students compared to their counterpart students.

Research findings help inform engineering programs, faculty, university administrators, and other stakeholders regarding the role of remedial education in engineering and whether it aids students from academically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue and succeed in engineering. The results have the potential to significantly advance our understanding of the pathways from high school to and through college engineering across different groups of students. Such understanding is essential insight to provide important recommendations for innovating and refocusing interventions aimed at increasing participation and graduation in engineering. 
AU  - Joyce Main
AU  - Amanda Griffith
CY  - Minneapolis, MN
DA  - 2022/08/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The Impact of Math and Science Remedial Education  on Engineering Major Choice, Degree Attainment, and Time to Degree
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/40864
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--40864
ER  -