Co-Curricular Science Experiences Support Undergraduate Students' Science GPA, Degree Completion, Workforce Entry,...

Area of Science:

• STEM Education
• Undergraduate Research
• Science Workforce Development

Background:

• Science co-curricular experiences (SciXPs), including research and internships, are common undergraduate strategies.
• The impact of SciXPs on long-term science career pursuit remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive relationship between SciXP participation and undergraduate science achievement, career persistence, and motivation.
• To examine how timing and duration of SciXPs influence these outcomes.
• To explore differential effects of SciXPs on diverse student populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a doubly robust statistical method with a sample of 1984 undergraduates.
• Controlled for initial differences in science motivation, academic readiness, and career intentions.
• Analyzed data collected at the end of college and one to two years post-graduation.

Main Results:

• SciXP participation positively correlated with science GPA, degree attainment, and science-intensive career placement.
• Earlier and multi-year SciXPs showed stronger positive associations with outcomes.
• SciXPs significantly enhanced science achievement, degree attainment, and motivation for underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students and women.

Conclusions:

• Undergraduate SciXPs are effective in increasing the size of the scientific workforce.
• These experiences offer particular promise for improving outcomes for women and underrepresented minority students in STEM.
• Strategic implementation of SciXPs, especially early and sustained involvement, can maximize benefits for student success.