URM students left biomedical fields at higher rates than majority students, an effect explained in part by their lower biology course grades¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q3 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i1 URM students were more likely to leave biomedical fields (OR = 1.25), and the indirect effect of URM status on attrition through biology course grades was significant. → Rosenzweig 2021 q3 i? URM students received significantly lower grades in the biology course than majority students, but did not report significantly lower end-of-semester interest. → Rosenzweig 2021 (2)

Evidence¶

Rosenzweig 2021¶

Rosenzweig, E. Q., Harackiewicz, J. M., Hecht, C. A., Priniski, S. J., Canning, E. A., Tibbetts, Y., Asher, M. W., & Hyde, J. S. (2021). College Students’ Reasons for Leaving Biomedical Fields: Disenchantment with Biomedicine or Attraction to Other Fields? Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000456

q3 · i1 · associational · r2

Demographic-only logistic regression predicting attrition in the 1193-student sample. The article reports "OR = 1.25" with 22.5% of URM students leaving versus 15.0% of majority students.

"URM students were more likely to leave biomedical fields, b = 0.22, z = 2.16, p = .03, OR = 1.25; 22.5% of URM students left biomedical fields as compared to 15.0% of majority students."

Rosenzweig 2021 (2)¶

Rosenzweig, E. Q., Harackiewicz, J. M., Hecht, C. A., Priniski, S. J., Canning, E. A., Tibbetts, Y., Asher, M. W., & Hyde, J. S. (2021). College Students’ Reasons for Leaving Biomedical Fields: Disenchantment with Biomedicine or Attraction to Other Fields? Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000456

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Regression analyses testing group differences on the psychological variables. URM students' lower grades (β = −0.18, p < .001) but not lower interest (β = −0.02, p = .495) supported the grades pathway.

"Results suggested that URM students did not report significantly lower interest in Biology, β = −0.02, p = .495, but they did receive significantly lower grades, β = −0.18, p < .001 (see Table 8)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• End-of-course interest in biology and introductory biology grades each predicted lower likelihood of leaving biomedical fields — related
• Leavers reported lower end-of-semester interest, lower prior achievement, and lower biology grades than stayers, with no differences in FG status, gender, or baseline interest — related
• URM students were more likely than non-URM leavers to report leaving due to disenchantment rather than attraction — related
• Among biomedical leavers, 62.5% described leaving only in terms of disenchantment while 25.2% described only attraction and 12.2% both equally — related
• Interest and value were the dominant topics in leavers' explanations, especially among students leaving due to attraction — related