Hegerfeld-Baker, J., et al. "Factors Influencing Choosing Food and Agriculture Related STEM Majors." NACTA Journal 59.1 (2015): 34-40. ProQuest. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.
This article discusses a research study conducted on the factors that influence students' choosing of STEM field majors at higher education institutions. Because of the predicted increased need for professionals in the STEM field of 10% from 2010 to 2020, this study was conducted to see how universities can successfully recruit students to major in the STEM fields, particularly in food and agriculture. The sample population for this study included students in their first semester of college with majors in the STEM fields who completed this survey completely online. The survey was retrospective and prospective and included numerical values of self-perceived level of influence of different factors on choosing a major. Two influential factors in choosing a STEM field major found in this study were related to career ambitions. Students who valued financial gain and stability had an even greater likelihood of choosing a STEM field major. In conclusion, predictors relating to financial gain and security will have a higher odds ratio for students choosing a STEM major than those choosing a non-STEM major. Ultimately, colleges should use job satisfaction/enjoyment as well as financial stability factors to recruit students into the STEM field majors, because these were found to be the most influential predictors of major.
This article makes me question higher education institutions' intentions for recruiting students into STEM field majors. Is it for their own gain or to ensure students with the most career options possible after graduation? Are these universities interested at all in the passion of their students, or simply filling the future job quota? In addition, why are students so concerned about financial stability at such a young age. In my life, I chose my major based solely on the passion I have for science. If it means getting to do something I love, financial stability doesn't even come into my mind. I wonder what has caused students to be so financially concerned in choosing their major. Is it due to societies demands for financial success, their parents demands for financial stability, the universities demands for financially successful graduates? This source enhances my beliefs that the universities are responsible for the increase in STEM field majors because they are conducting research studies such as this just so they can better recruit students into these fields. Are students successful in regards to job satisfaction in the STEM fields when recruited by these universities? Or is the reverse happening? I thought originally that students would choose majors only based on what would make them happy in the future, but now I see that students also care greatly about financial stability, even when job satisfaction is still very important. I wonder how these factors compare against each other and which is more influential in choosing major. Is there a perceived sense that students will have job satisfaction if they are financially stable? Does financial stability equal job satisfaction in today's society? How has that changed over time?
This source has led me to ask the new questions "What intentions do universities have in recruiting students?", "How are outside influential factors responsible for students choosing STEM field majors over non-STEM field majors?", and "Are students more concerned with financial stability than job satisfaction or vice versa in today's society?". My research will now dive further into what other factors influence choosing majors and what intentions students have for choosing majors, and whether or not student autonomy is upheld in choosing majors. So far, I know that there are in fact many outside influences students face when choosing majors and that universities are looking to recruit students into STEM fields.
No comments:
Post a Comment