The Climate Experiences of Students in Introductory Biology

Understanding course climate is important for improving students’ experiences and increasing the likelihood of their persistence in STEM fields. This study presents climate survey results from 523 students taking introductory biology at the University of Michigan. Principal component analysis reveal...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Ramón S. Barthelemy, Gina Hedberg, Anne Greenberg, Timothy McKay
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: American Society for Microbiology 2015
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/671200b8ef4940e383ac91bf07fb166a
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
Descripción
Sumario:Understanding course climate is important for improving students’ experiences and increasing the likelihood of their persistence in STEM fields. This study presents climate survey results from 523 students taking introductory biology at the University of Michigan. Principal component analysis revealed that a student’s climate experience is comprised of five main elements: comfort, school avoidance, relationship to course, academic stress, and discomfort. Of these climate factors, comfort, school avoidance, and relationship to course were significant predictors of course satisfaction, and academic stress was a significant predictor of persistence. The results indicated the importance of a positive climate that is facilitated by the instructor in order to promote a positive student experience. Climate may be an important metric for institutions to track across time and course.