Talking About Leaving

by Seymour, Elaine; Hewitt, Nancy M.

• ISBN13: 9780813389264
• ISBN10: 0813389267
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-01-01
• Publisher: Westview Pr

Summary

This intriguing book explores the reasons that lead undergraduates of above-average ability to switch from science, mathematics, and engineering majors into nonscience majors. Based on a three-year, seven-campus study, the volume takes up the ongoing national debate about the quality of undergraduate education in these fields, offering explanations for net losses of students to non-science majors.Data show that approximately 40 percent of undergraduate students leave engineering programs, 50 percent leave the physical and biological sciences, and 60 percent leave mathematics. Concern about this waste of talent is heightened because these losses occur among the most highly qualified college entrants and are disproportionately greater among women and students of color, despite a serious national effort to improve their recruitment and retention.The authors' findings, culled from over 600 hours of ethnographic interviews and focus group discussions with undergraduates, explain the intended and unintended consequences of some traditional teaching practices and attitudes.Talking about Leavingis richly illustrated with students' accounts of their own experiences in the sciences.This is a landmark studyan essential source book for all those concerned with changing the ways that we teach science, mathematics, and engineering education, and with opening these fields to a more diverse student body.

Author Biography

Elaine Seymour is a sociologists at the Bureau of Sociological Research, the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Table of Contents

Tables	ix
Figures	xi
Acknowledgments	xii
Overview	1	(52)
Background to the Study	1	(12)
Reasons for Attrition among S.M.E. Majors	8	(5)
Study Objectives	13	(11)
Method of Inquiry	24	(6)
Additional Data and Validity Checks	28	(1)
Method of Ethnographic Data Analysis	29	(1)
Overview of Findings	30	(20)
The Loss of Able Students from S.M.E. Majors	35	(5)
Differences Between Institutions in Student Concerns and Reasons for Switching	40	(1)
Differences Between Students Entering Engineering And Those Entering Science or Mathematics	41	(9)
Notes	50	(3)
Entering S.M.E. Majors: Choice and Preparation	53	(35)
Choosing S.M.E. Majors and Careers	53	(25)
The Active Influence of Others	56	(10)
Intrinsic Interest	66	(2)
Altruism	68	(1)
The Uninformed Choice	69	(3)
Too Little or Too Much Choice	72	(1)
Materialism and Pragmatism	72	(5)
Gender Differences in Reasons for Choosing S.M.E. Majors	77	(1)
Reasons for Choosing S.M.E. Majors: Significance for Persistence	78	(1)
High School Preparation	78	(9)
Failure to Learn Good Study Skills and Habits	84	(3)
Notes	87	(1)
The Learning Experience in S.M.E. Majors	88	(96)
The `Hardness' of Science	88	(18)
The Nature of Conceptual Difficulties	88	(4)
Problems of Curriculum Pace and Work Load	92	(7)
Other Perspectives on the `Hardness' of S.M.E. Majors	99	(7)
The Significance of Grades	106	(9)
The Competitive Culture	115	(7)
The Weed-Out Tradition	122	(11)
The Unsupportive Culture	133	(12)
Teaching and Learning	145	(20)
Problems with Faculty Pedagogy	146	(12)
Experiences with Teaching Assistants	158	(5)
Language Problems with Teaching Assistants	163	(2)
Students' Suggestions for the Improvement of S.M.E. Pedagogy	165	(12)
Training and Planning for Undergraduate Teaching	166	(1)
The Structure and Content of a Well-Taught Class	167	(3)
The Good Teacher	170	(2)
Collaborative Learning	172	(5)
Loss of Interest and the Appeal of Other Majors	177	(6)
Notes	183	(1)
Career and Lifestyle, Time and Money	184	(47)
Considerations of Career and Lifestyle	184	(7)
What Students are Rejecting	184	(7)
Shift to a More Appealing Non-S.M.E. Career Option	191	(6)
What Students are Looking For	191	(6)
Wanting to Become a Teacher	197	(4)
The Profit-to-Grief Ratio	201	(5)
Financial Problems and their Consequences	206	(9)
Problems with the Length of S.M.E. Majors	215	(7)
Playing the System	222	(2)
The Choice of Graduate School	224	(4)
Conclusions	228	(2)
Notes	230	(1)
Issues of Gender	231	(88)
Explaining Women's Under-Participation in the Sciences: Puzzles and Clues	231	(5)
Gender, Student Concerns and Switching Decisions	236	(4)
Differential Impact of the Weed-Out System	237	(2)
Differences in Evaluation of the Learning Experience	239	(1)
Gender Differences in Other Student Concerns	239	(1)
The Experiences of Women in S.M.E. Majors	240	(15)
The Legacy of Pre-College Socialization	240	(3)
Negative Experiences with S.M.E. Faculty	243	(5)
Negative Attitudes and Behavior of Male Peers	248	(7)
Explaining What Women Experience in S.M.E. Majors	255	(10)
What Women Seek and May Not Find in S.M.E. Majors	265	(9)
The Role of the Traditional S.M.E. System in the Loss of Able Women: A Summary	274	(2)
Feeling That ``It's Okay to Leave''	276	(8)
The Ghost of Darwin Versus the Feminist Critique	284	(6)
The Prospect of a Dual Career: Work and Family	290	(4)
What Helps Women Persist in S.M.E. Majors	294	(14)
Individual Coping Skills	294	(4)
Bonding to Other Women in S.M.E. Majors	298	(3)
Faculty Women and Other Role Models and Mentors	301	(7)
Creating a Comfortable Climate for Women in S.M.E. Majors	308	(5)
Larger Issues and Unanswered Questions	313	(4)
Notes	317	(2)
Issues of Race and Ethnicity	319	(72)
Comparisons of Students of Color with White Students	322	(7)
Inappropriate Choice	324	(3)
Inadequate High School Preparation	327	(1)
Under-Prepared and Over-Confident	328	(1)
Problems Unique to Students of Color	329	(47)
Patterns of Socialization and Ethnic Cultural Values	330	(4)
Cultural Variations in Educational Socialization	334	(3)
Ethnic Cultural Values	337	(1)
Obligation to Serve Community	337	(3)
Obligation to be a Role Model	340	(1)
Conflict Between Academic and Family Responsibilities	341	(3)
Educational Goals Defined by Parents	344	(2)
Cultural Restraints on Self-Assertiveness	346	(1)
Self-Reliance and Autonomy	347	(2)
Cultural Variations in Peer Group Success Norms	349	(5)
Internalization of Negative Stereotypes and its Consequences	354	(8)
Degree of Ethnic Isolation and Perceptions of Prejudice	362	(4)
Minority Group Enrollment Levels and Perceptions of Racism	366	(10)
``Minority Programs''	376	(9)
Academic Assistance	377	(3)
Advising and Counseling Programs	380	(2)
Orientation Programs	382	(1)
Retention Programs	383	(2)
Conclusions	385	(6)
Some Conclusions and Their Implications	391	(7)
Notes	397	(1)
Appendix A: Figures	398	(3)
Appendix B: Topics Explored in Interviews and Focus Groups	401	(2)
Bibliography	403	(20)
Name Index	423	(2)
Subject Index	425	(5)
About the Book and Authors	430