1995 Program Evaluation of the Women
in Science Project at Dartmouth College
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FINDINGS
Qualitative Data
To begin to understand the trajectory of a science major at
Dartmouth, seniors graduating in 1994 with a major in science
were surveyed. This graduating class contained the first cohort
of students who had held WISP internships their freshman year.
Of the 47 WISP '94 interns, 30 (63.8%) had chosen a major in
science, math, or engineering. Questionnaires were sent to these
30; despite a monetary incentive and a stream of reminders,
only 13 students (43.3%) returned the survey. The questionnaires
focused on factors that encouraged and discouraged science students
throughout their four years, resources and programs that they
used or would have found helpful, and WISP programming. A similar
survey was sent to 40 randomly selected seniors majoring in
sciences who had not held internships; 21 students (52.5%) returned
them.
Seniors were asked what they were considering when they matriculated
at Dartmouth and what they had chosen as their major. The 34
responding seniors indicated:
| MAJOR |
Matriculation |
Senior
Year |
| Biology |
64.7% |
47.1% |
| Chemistry |
20.5% |
17.6% |
| Engineering |
8.8% |
4.7% |
| Psychology* |
5.9% |
8.8% |
| Biochemistry |
8.8% |
8.8% |
| Physics |
5.9% |
5.9% |
| Computer Science |
2.9% |
5.9% |
| Earth Sciences |
0.0% |
2.9% |
All of the graduating women were science majors (psychology
is sometimes grouped with sciences at Dartmouth); however, the
numbers do not tally to 100% because many women were considering
more than one science when they entered Dartmouth and some women
graduated with double science majors. 32% of the senior science
majors were double majoring, 23.2% in two sciences. These data
seem to suggest many students leave biology. Although women
do choose to leave the biology department (a topic discussed
more later), the decrease in the biology statistic is partially
due to the fact that many of the women listed biology as one
of many majors they were considering freshman year.
Why did the women select their major? About a third of the
women had always been interested in the subject. Others attributed
their major to their high school experiences. At Dartmouth,
a course or a professor was often influential.
Why seniors selected a science major:
| Always interested in subject |
32.4% |
| Course |
17.6% |
| Professor |
17.6% |
| High school experience |
11.8% |
| Research experience |
11.8% |
| Medical school |
11.8% |
| I did well in science |
11.8% |
Overall the seniors were happy with their choice of major;
79.4% said that they would choose their major again. 11.8% indicated
that they would not, and 5.9% might. Of the seniors who responded
negatively, students in biology seemed particularly unhappy;
they cited the quality of teaching and the size of the department
as unfriendly characteristics. The chemistry department received
favorable reviews from both its majors and other science students.
Some disgruntled biology students indicated that, given a second
chance, they would choose a major in chemistry.
To probe which factors most influenced pursuit of a science
major, seniors were asked to list, in rank order, the three
factors that most encouraged and discouraged them to major in
a science. The most frequent responses included:
Table 8: Factors that Encourage
Pursuit of a Science Major
| |
RANK ORDER |
| |
OVERALL % |
#1 (%) |
#2 (%) |
#3 (%) |
| Interest |
82.4 |
47.1 |
14.7 |
20.6 |
|
High school experience (class, teacher, club)
|
44.1 |
14.7 |
11.8 |
17.6 |
| Class size |
38.2 |
20.8 |
14.7 |
2.9 |
| Poor classes/labs, teaching |
55.9 |
26.5 |
26.5 |
2.9 |
| Future career plans (not medicine) |
41.2 |
2.9 |
11.8 |
26.5 |
| Patents, relatives |
38.2 |
11.8 |
11.8 |
14.7 |
| Career in medicine |
23.5 |
2.9 |
8.8 |
2.9 |
| Lab, work experience |
20.6 |
11.8 |
5.9 |
2.9 |
| Role model |
14.7 |
2.9 |
8.8 |
2.9 |
| College courses |
14.7 |
0.0 |
2.9 |
11.8 |
Not surprisingly, this table encompasses the reasons why students
chose their major. Interest in science remains the primary motivator.
The strong influence of high school also appears again. Interns
described the role of their parents and relatives in supporting
(or insisting on) a science major. More relevant to, and perhaps
influenced by, the WISP programming efforts, is the influence
of future career plans, role models, and laboratory and work
experiences. Of the total population of senior women (interns
and noninterns) 20.6% cited scientific research or work as an
encouraging factor; of the 13 women who had held internships
4 (30.8%) specifically mentioned WISP as a factor that encouraged
them to major in a science. Some interns identified their college
courses as an encouraging factor. However, overall many more
women cited characteristics of their college courses as factors
that hindered their consideration of a science major especially
early in their college career. The competitive atmosphere, the
class sizes, the poor teaching and the low grades that they
received after hard work all made sciences unappealing:
Table 9: Factors that Discourage
Pursuit of a Science Major
| |
RANK ORDER |
| |
OVERALL % |
#1 (%) |
#2 (%) |
#3 (%) |
| Workload and reward |
52.9 |
29.4 |
14.7 |
8.8 |
| Competition |
44.1 |
14.7 |
11.8 |
17.6 |
| Class size |
38.2 |
20.8 |
14.7 |
2.9 |
| Poor classes/labs, teaching |
35.3 |
11.8 |
11.8 |
11.8 |
| Grades |
17.6 |
5.9 |
8.8 |
2.9 |
|
Unfriendly dept, lack of interaction with prof
|
17.6 |
5.9 |
5.9 |
5.9 |
| Labs |
17.6 |
2.9 |
8.8 |
5.9 |
| Time |
14.6 |
0.0 |
11.8 |
2.9 |
| Prerequisite classes |
14.6 |
11.8 |
5.9 |
2.9 |
Seniors wrote about their frustrations with the amount of work
and time required by a science major and the lack of "reward"
for these efforts--the grading curve often meant they received
poor grades and the low test means caused students to question
whether they were capable of learning science. Students contrasted
their performance and effort in the sciences with that in humanities
classes (and with high school). Many students, particularly
the pre-meds who would be competing with humanities majors for
acceptance, worried about their GPA and their grades. Concerns
about medical school also fueled a competitive atmosphere in
the required introductory science classes that students
disliked.
Seniors' responses about stimuli and deterrents to majoring
in science are useful because they suggest changes in courses
and departments that could make science more attractive. The
insights could inform program design; projects could strive
to capitalize on the encouraging facets and alleviate or counterbalance
the negative ones. Students face different stresses (and triumphs)
at different points in their college career--efforts to develop
effective programs need to consider when factors are
relevant as well. What are the issues that students face in
different years of a science major? What kind of information
and support would be useful for them at different points? To
construct a generalized understanding of the trends that operate
throughout a science major, a brief "history" of seniors' science
major at Dartmouth was elicited. The question read:
We are interested in your "history" as a science major
at Dartmouth. What were the influencial activities, Experiences,
individuals, decisions, stumbling blocks, and triumphs that
you encountered in various years? How did the years compare
or differ? (Which years or quarters were the most difficult,
the most enjoyable etc.?) For each year, please write about
five sentences characterizing or summarizing your experiences
and attitudes toward majoring in a science.
Freshman:
Sophomore
Junior:
Senior:
From their reflections, positive and negative factors, experiences,
and decisions were distilled. Table
10 presents an overview
of the positive variables and decisions that surfaced in students'
histories. Table 11 outlines the more
difficult or negative
aspects of a science major. The histories provide more detailed
data about college-related factors above; they reveal not only
what factors women science majors at Dartmouth find noteworthy,
but also when such variables are influential. For example,
Table 11 shows that the size of the
introductory classes is a discouraging
feature that is important freshman year; 36% of the women commented
on it. However after freshman year introductory class size is
not cited as frequently. This could be due to the fact that
students are taking fewer introductory classes. Or, it could
also stem from students' acclimation to the structure of Dartmouth
classes. Freshman year was also a year that students remember
because of their poor grades in science.
Table 10 shows that
preparation and WISP were two other positive topics that figured
prominently in descriptions of freshman year, but much less
in subsequent years.
In addition to mapping the course of a given factor, a comparison
of the data tables can provide an overall sense of the relative
difficulty of different years. A tally of the total number of
negative comments for a given year shows that they decreased
over the four years: 61, 37, 21, 15, while the number of encouraging
factors increased: 50, 80, 93, 82. Freshman and sophomore years
are particularly difficult--students more frequently comment
about negative or discouraging factors than positive factors,
and cite more negative factors in the first two years of college
than the latter two. 21% of the students identified their first
two years as "tough," and more students commented
on their high workload and poor grades in freshman and sophomore
year than in junior and senior year.
Sophomore year women began to enjoy their science major more.
Though 21% mentioned having at least one tough term, they were
more pleased with their grades, and enjoyed their classes, teaching,
and support of fellow students. Women echoed similar sentiments
junior year. Junior year was the year that women often participated
in a research experience. 42% of the women conducted independent
scientific research. During sophomore and junior years many
of the women were declaring their majors. Over half the women
(52.9%) reported choosing their major sophomore year. On the
questionnaire 20.6% of the seniors reported choosing their major
during freshman year, 17.6% as juniors, and 8.8% during high
school.
Senior responses surfaced many different important forces.
To assess what information senior women considered most essential
and valuable for success and happiness in a science major, senior
majors were asked what three pieces of advice they would offer
to a freshwomen planning to major in science. They
responded:
Table 10: Senior Histories
Encouraging Factors
| Encouraging Factors |
% Freshman |
% Sophomore |
% Junior |
% Senior |
| Accessible professors |
9 |
0 |
12 |
9 |
| Advice older students |
6 |
9 |
0 |
3 |
| Advising |
3 |
9 |
0 |
3 |
| Break from science study |
0 |
6 |
12 |
0 |
| Career decision |
3 |
6 |
12 |
24 |
| Challenging class |
3 |
15 |
12 |
3 |
| Class enjoyment |
15 |
21 |
18 |
24 |
| Class interest |
0 |
18 |
18 |
9 |
| Confidence |
9 |
6 |
6 |
15 |
| Good term |
6 |
6 |
12 |
9 |
| Grades |
9 |
21 |
9 |
21 |
| Independent research |
3 |
15 |
42 |
27 |
| Interest in science |
9 |
18 |
9 |
6 |
| Interest in subject matter |
6 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
| Introductory class size |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Labs |
9 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
| Major choice |
6 |
18 |
21 |
6 |
| Meet grad students |
0 |
0 |
6 |
9 |
| Mentor/study
group |
0 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
| Preparation |
15 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Presidential Scholar |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
| Professor encourage |
9 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
| Relevance/big
picture |
0 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
| Required courses |
3 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
| Summer job |
3 |
6 |
12 |
3 |
| Support fellow students |
9 |
18 |
12 |
9 |
| Teaching |
9 |
21 |
24 |
3 |
| Thesis |
0 |
0 |
6 |
24 |
| Upper class size |
0 |
3 |
3 |
9 |
| WISP |
12 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
Table 11: Senior Histories
Discouraging Factors
| Discouraging Factors |
% Freshman |
% Sophomore |
% Junior |
% Senior |
| Accessible professors |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Advising |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
| Career decision |
0 |
6 |
9 |
6 |
| Class enjoyment |
18 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
| Class interest |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Confidence |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Grades |
24 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
| Independent research |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Interest in subject matter |
3 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
| Introductory class size |
36 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
| Labs |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Major choice |
18 |
18 |
6 |
3 |
| Preparation |
12 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Presidential Scholar |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Professor discouraged |
6 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
| Required courses |
0 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
| Support fellow students |
3 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
| Teaching |
12 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
| Time |
3 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
| Tough time |
21 |
21 |
12 |
0 |
| Workload |
12 |
15 |
3 |
3 |
Table 12: Advice to freshwomen
science majors
|
Ask the professor for help, get to know prof, ask
questions
|
58.8% |
|
Introductory classes are not indicative of all courses
|
35.5% |
| Do an independent study or lab research |
35.3% |
| Get started on required classes early |
26.5% |
| Talk to upperclassmen |
20.6% |
| Don't get discouraged, stick with it |
20.6% |
| Find out and use available resources |
20.6% |
|
Gender issue--talk with other women, women as capable
|
17.6% |
| Don't be intimidated by classmates |
11.8% |
| If you don't like science, don't stick with it |
11.8% |
| Get good professors |
11.8% |
| Study with others |
11.8% |
| Participate in WISP |
11.8% |
| Think of courses as more than a means to an end |
11.8% |
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