Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career Choice

Area of Science:

• Geosciences
• STEM Education

Background:

• Student recruitment and retention in STEM fields remain challenging.
• Current models focus on domain interest and identity for recruitment and retention.
• Geosciences face particular difficulties in attracting and retaining students, leading to workforce shortages.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the role of transformative experiences combined with domain interest/identity in predicting academic and career choices in geoscience.
• Examine how deep engagement and application of learning influence educational and career pathways.
• Understand predictors of geoscience academic and career choice.

Main Methods:

• Collected survey data from 60 students at three U.S. universities.
• Employed hierarchical multiple regression to analyze predictors.
• Included self-efficacy, pre-geoscience interest/identity, transformative experience, and post-geoscience interest/identity in the model.

Main Results:

• The full regression model explained 69% of the variance in geoscience academic/career choice.
• Stepwise regression indicated that post-geoscience interest/identity fully mediated the relationship between other predictors and career choice.
• Pre-geoscience interest/identity and transformative experience were significant predictors.

Conclusions:

• Transformative experiences and initial interest/identity are crucial for geoscience academic and career choices.
• Developing and fostering transformative experiences can enhance student engagement and persistence in geoscience.
• Post-geoscience interest/identity is a key factor, suggesting that positive experiences solidify commitment to the field.