Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career Choice
Recruitment and retention of students in STEM fields continues to be a challenge. Existing models of recruitment and retention emphasize the role of domain interest and identity. In the current research, we investigated the role of transformative experience combined with domain interest/identity in...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/2/233 |
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| author | Amanda D. Manzanares Kevin J. Pugh |
| author_facet | Amanda D. Manzanares Kevin J. Pugh |
| author_sort | Amanda D. Manzanares |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recruitment and retention of students in STEM fields continues to be a challenge. Existing models of recruitment and retention emphasize the role of domain interest and identity. In the current research, we investigated the role of transformative experience combined with domain interest/identity in predicting academic and career choice. Transformative experiences represent a form of deep engagement in which students actively apply school learning in their everyday lives and find value in doing so. We looked specifically at academic and career choice, i.e., available educational paths and various career options, in the field of geoscience, as the geosciences currently struggle to attract and retain majors, resulting in a lack of professionals to fill these jobs. We collected survey data from students (n = 60) at three U.S. universities, and used hierarchical multiple regression to investigate self-efficacy, pre-geoscience interest/identity, transformative experience, and post-geoscience interest/identity as predictors of geoscience academic and career choice. The full regression model explained 69% of the variance in geoscience academic/career choice. Further, stepwise regression analysis revealed that post-geoscience interest/identity fully mediated the relations between the other significant predictors (pre-geoscience interest/identity and transformative experience) and geoscience academic/career choice. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a3a6b2e07bf84d38a894f110e7a50de2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-a3a6b2e07bf84d38a894f110e7a50de22025-08-20T02:44:49ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-02-0115223310.3390/bs15020233Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career ChoiceAmanda D. Manzanares0Kevin J. Pugh1School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639, USASchool of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639, USARecruitment and retention of students in STEM fields continues to be a challenge. Existing models of recruitment and retention emphasize the role of domain interest and identity. In the current research, we investigated the role of transformative experience combined with domain interest/identity in predicting academic and career choice. Transformative experiences represent a form of deep engagement in which students actively apply school learning in their everyday lives and find value in doing so. We looked specifically at academic and career choice, i.e., available educational paths and various career options, in the field of geoscience, as the geosciences currently struggle to attract and retain majors, resulting in a lack of professionals to fill these jobs. We collected survey data from students (n = 60) at three U.S. universities, and used hierarchical multiple regression to investigate self-efficacy, pre-geoscience interest/identity, transformative experience, and post-geoscience interest/identity as predictors of geoscience academic and career choice. The full regression model explained 69% of the variance in geoscience academic/career choice. Further, stepwise regression analysis revealed that post-geoscience interest/identity fully mediated the relations between the other significant predictors (pre-geoscience interest/identity and transformative experience) and geoscience academic/career choice.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/2/233transformative experiencescience educationinterestacademic and career choicegeosciences |
| spellingShingle | Amanda D. Manzanares Kevin J. Pugh Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career Choice Behavioral Sciences transformative experience science education interest academic and career choice geosciences |
| title | Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career Choice |
| title_full | Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career Choice |
| title_fullStr | Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career Choice |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career Choice |
| title_short | Interest and Transformative Experience as Predictors of Geoscience Academic and Career Choice |
| title_sort | interest and transformative experience as predictors of geoscience academic and career choice |
| topic | transformative experience science education interest academic and career choice geosciences |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/2/233 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amandadmanzanares interestandtransformativeexperienceaspredictorsofgeoscienceacademicandcareerchoice AT kevinjpugh interestandtransformativeexperienceaspredictorsofgeoscienceacademicandcareerchoice |