39Vol. 42, No. 5, 2013
Retaining Students in STEM Majors
switch out of science than those
with lower SAT scores; for every
100-point decrease in SAT score, the
tted odds that a student will switch
out of a STEM major nearly double
(p < .05). Finally, reecting what we
already saw in Figure 2, students in
a PI course are, on average, half as
likely to switch out of STEM majors
as those in the traditionally taught
course (p < .05), at every level of
SAT math scores.
Discussion
The results presented here provide
compelling evidence that a single
course can have a signicant long-
term impact on the retention of
students in STEM majors. Previ-
ous research on retention in the
sciences offers compelling reasons
why PI may be well suited to posi-
tively impact students both during
the course and beyond. By reform-
ing the classroom environment, PI
addresses many of the complaints
that students leaving STEM majors
have expressed about teaching in
introductory science and engineer-
ing courses. By incorporating and
structuring peer discussions, stu-
dents have more opportunities to get
to know each other and share ideas,
perhaps reducing the “coldness”
and increasing the “openness” of
the introductory science classroom.
During these discussions, the in-
structor also has the opportunity to
listen and participate, providing for
greater faculty–student interaction.
Additionally, much of class time is
set aside for thinking about concep-
tual questions and discussing ideas
with fellow classmates, which can
make class time more engaging and
less “dull.” By addressing these is-
sues raised by students leaving the
sciences, PI may create “a single
positive interaction, excitement
about a course’s teaching and/or
content” for students that research
has shown can conrm their choice
to remain in a STEM major (Lich-
FIGURE 2
Percentages of students switching out of STEM majors by year. PI =
Peer Instruction.
FIGURE 3
Probability that a student will switch out of STEM majors, by
pedagogy, year in school, and SAT math scores. PI = Peer Instruction.
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