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Background: Despite a well-documented underrepresentation of women in STEM majors and occupations, empirical evidence on whether there really is a "leaky STEM pipeline" is mixed due to a lack of methodological consistency. Studies vary by (1) the definition of STEM, (2) the decision to measure choices alone or to also include aspirations, and (3) the use of longitudinal or cross-sectional data. Results: In order to analyze how variations in the research design affect the measurement of women's underrepresentation in the field of STEM, we critically reviewed relevant literature on the "leaky pipeline" and identified three central features in the designs of existing empirical studies. We illustrate how the variation of these affects the results by applying them to the German context. Our results support the "leakage" perspective for Germany only during the transition to the labor market. Changes in STEM aspirations between grades 9 and 12 do not follow a clear pattern. Indeed, a comparison of grade 12 aspirations to actual college major choices even shows an increasing share of women in STEM. Conclusion: Germany does not exhibit a significant "leaky STEM pipeline". Due to more men choosing STEM, gender gaps widen in higher education, while the pipeline remains stable. Therefore, we challenge the "leaky pipeline" metaphor, advocating a life-course perspective to better understand STEM trajectories. We call for refined measurement standards, emphasizing official STEM definitions, long-term observations from aspirations to career entry, and the use of longitudinal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I use rich administrative and survey data to analyse the determinants of the gender gap in STEM graduation rates among Italian college graduates. Results from both Gelbach and Oaxaca decompositions show that half of the gender gap in STEM graduation is attributed to the gender difference in maths and science content of the respective high school curricula. This finding indicates that in Italy the gender gap in STEM graduation has its roots in a gendered choice originating many years before and that effective interventions aimed at increasing girls' interests in science and technology should be implemented at an early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employability is a set of achievements – skills, understandings, and personal attributes – that makes graduate students more going to benefit from work. It well values it for several students to get a degree in computer science. For decades, traditional information sources and methodologies were too expensive and cumbersome to obtain the finer details of learning processes that digital trace amounts of student behavior could provide, and decision-making skills are the basic challenges. Hence the proposed model Amalgamation of Computer Majors based on Data Mining (ACM-DM) is employed to satisfy the challenges discussed above. Training investigators in instructional data science methodologies and balancing the need to protect personal information with sharing data are challenges. As a result, the proposed model helps achieve data, performance, accuracy, interoperability, and security analysis compared to other majors if included in colleges based on data mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, the University of Southern California started a new undergraduate major in quantitative biology. This major combines training in the biological sciences, mathematics, and computer science to prepare students for 21st century biology and medicine. In this article I will discuss the curriculum, the first two cohorts of graduates, the current students, and future plans for the major. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress among university staff may hinder academic success. However, a comprehensive investigation of its contributing factors is still limited. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of stress among university staff and identify contributing factors for stress among them. The staff who consented from a selected university were assessed using validated questionnaires to measure the level of stress, sociodemographic, personal, and job-related factors. A total of 276 staff (Mean ± SD age: 38.84 ± 7.85 years; 44.2% males) participated in the study. There were 43(15.5%) staff who experienced stress, and the remaining had no stress (233; 83.8%). Significant associated factors include campus location, work responsibility, problem with client or student and feeling dissatisfied with superior. Multiple logistic regressions indicated that campus location and work responsibility were significant predictors of stress. Staff working in the urban campus have almost three times the odds of having stress. Having less responsibility is a protective factor for stress. University authorities should provide a healthy work environment, stress-relieving amenities, and counselling for stress management to ensure university staff excel in both academia and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the ethical intentions and perceptions of ethical problems among undergraduates in Singapore. An online survey was conducted to a sample of 100 undergraduates studying in local and foreign universities based in Singapore. The study found influences on ethical perceptions and intentions by factors such as gender, religious commitment, and academic majors. Finance & Accounting and Business Management students were more able to perceive an ethical problem and proved more ethical in their intentions than students in other disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the university environment, young people are for the most only seen as the recipients of interventions, most often education. When they are not on the receiving end, although they may be on the front end as researchers, professors or through other administrative roles, it is rare to have them resolutely involved in university management. Although their opinions might be taken into account through different committees, associations or clubs, it is usually uncommon that they have equal say in or direct influence over decision-making. This is rather disconcerting considering the fact that after all any decisions taken at the top management levels have for intended consequence the conditions of these same young people. In this sense, we believe, in accordance to an advanced version of the client-oriented model of policy evaluation that, as major stakeholders in university management, the role of the youth, regardless of their position in university, shouldn't be limited to advisory functions as we often see but rather to contributory leadership positions. This paper assesses the expectations of youth involvement in university management, through a synthesis of the state-of-science of different theories, concept and frameworks that support the involvement of young leaders in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies have documented factors that are associated with substance use behaviors among college-aged individuals. However, relatively few studies have considered the heterogeneity of the college experience by field of study (i.e., college major) and how that educational context might affect students' health behaviors differently. Drawing from theories and prior research, this study investigates whether college majors are associated with different substance use behaviors, both during college and upon graduation.Methods: The study analyzed longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 97 (N = 1031), specifically data on individuals who obtained a bachelor's degree, to examine the associations between college fields of study and trajectories of three substance use behaviors: smoking, heavy alcohol use, and marijuana use.Results: The results indicate that social science and business majors were associated with more substance use behaviors than arts and humanities and STEM majors. However, social science majors were associated with a faster decrease in substance use behaviors over time. Importantly, the differences we found in mean levels of substance use behaviors and trajectories were not explained by demographic characteristics, family SES background, childhood health conditions, and employment experience. Further analysis that examined college major and each substance use behavior individually suggests that the associations were stronger for heavy alcohol use and marijuana use. Moreover, we found the associations were more pronounced in men than women.Conclusions: The study finds that not all college majors show the same level of engagement in substance use behaviors over time, and that the associations also vary by (1) the specific substance use behavior examined and (2) by gender. These findings suggest it is important to consider that the different learning and educational contexts that college majors provide may also be more or less supportive of certain health behaviors, such as substance use. Practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines conception “positioning strategy of major university in the cyberspace”, its main trends and functions. The author analyses the scientific works of classical and modern representatives of schools of management widely spread in different countries, according to their main conceptions, which single out the principal tendencies of management impact, formulate the most effective methods and forms of their putting into operation using knowledge from different fields of science. The completed analysis enabled to make the conclusion that the work of schools of management depends on using external information and changes in the environment. The use of synergetic approach makes it possible to formulate factors, which influence the work of educational establishments and stimulate major universities to modify in the direction of surrounding world development. The scientist studied the development of methods of positioning strategies of major universities in the international cyberspace, which are based on systematic, strategic, synergetic, socio-marketing, criteria-integrated and systematic-methodic methodological approaches. Important methodological aspects are the analysis of the system of positioning of higher educational establishments as a tool for influencing various spheres of society (political, economic, social and cultural spheres of life, etc.). On the basis of the examined literature, the author comes to the point that on the modern stage of the development of countries there are a lot of methods of competitive recovery such as Boston Consulting Group analysis, M. Portet model, McKenzie method, Shell/DPM method, LOTS method, PIMS method, situational analysis (SOT analysis), expert estimation method, Hofer/ Schendel model, financial and economic method, method of strategical groups mapping and others. The researcher accents that clear implementation of the tasks of positioning strategies will ensure that higher educational establishments consolidate their positions, as well as contribute to the University’s competitiveness in the domestic and global scientific and educational space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-phase study explored the role of academic majors in identity development and affirmation among undergraduate collegestudents. Phase one of the study examined the existence of identity images for five academic majors (i.e., Hospitality Management;Recreation, Parks & Tourism Management; Journalism; Fashion Design; and Biology). Phase two measured students' desire for these identity images. Results of the qualitative analysis inphase one suggested that undergraduate students associate unique sets of identity images with academic majors. ANOVA with posthoc analysis in phase two was used to analyze quantitative data collected from 272 surveys assessing the desirability of the identity images revealed in phase one. Results of phase two suggest that students enrolled in a particular major desire the identity image associated with their chosen major more than the images associated with other majors. Thus, it appears that academic majors symbolize discrete sets of identity images and an independent choice of an academic major may play a vital role in the identity development and affirmation process among undergraduate college students through association with desired identity images. Academic majors may be selected for their ability to affirm valued aspects of identities. Implications for Hospitality Management and Tourism educators are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Athletes have the right to combine their sport and higher education careers (e.g., dual career), but differences in the recognition of the student-athlete’s status and availability of dual career programmes and services exist worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dual career phenomenon through the international student-athletes’ views. Student-athletes competing at the 2017 Summer Universiade were recruited to respond a 31-item online survey encompassing demographic characteristics (Q1-8), sport and university engagement (Q9-13), student-athletes’ knowledge and possible sources of information regarding dual career (Q14-22); and dual career support at personal, sport, and academic levels (Q23-31). Four hundred twenty-six respondents (males: 46%, females 54%), competing in 22 different sports (individual: 74%, team: 26%) from Africa (4%), America (20%), Asia (34%), Europe (39%), and Oceania (3), had experienced previous international sports events (94%). Differences among continents emerged for sport (p<0.001) and university (p = 0.039) engagement, and transfer time from home to the training venue (p = 0.030). Individual sports student-athletes showed higher sport engagement (p = 0.003) compared to team sports counterparts. Differences among university majors emerged for university engagement (p<0.001). Long absence from classes (57%), limited leisure time (50%), financial uncertainty (44%), reduction of training due to education (42%), and overload feelings (37%) emerged. The majority of the sample resulted not familiar with dual career programmes (60%) and public authorities (69%), envisaging national dual career policies at university (37%) and sport (25%) levels. Multiple relevant dual career supporters at personal, sport, and university levels were identified, mainly parents (86%) and coaches (65%). To strengthen the potential of the student-athletes of the future, a dual career network should be established among several stakeholders, for transnational cooperation and sharing of knowledge and best practices through extensive communication between policy-makers, practitioners and those having a strong supportive dual career role (e.g., parents, coaches, and university sport staff). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the growth and development of marketing education at colleges and universities. Two indicators of marketing education growth, which the article covers, are the number of schools offering marketing courses, and the number of specialized fields within marketing which are available to study. Seven subject groupings are reported; they include marketing, advertising, sales management, retailing, market research, public relations and auxiliary courses. The expanding popularity of marketing as a field of study during the years 1930 to 1950 is described.

This article investigates whether attending a high school that offers a specialized science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics program (high school with a STEM program) boosts the number of students majoring in STEM when they are in college. We use a longitudinal sample of students in North Carolina, whom we follow from middle school through college graduation, to estimate the effect of attending a high school with a STEM program on students' interest in STEM, odds of declaring, and chances of persisting in their intention to major in STEM. Although our multilevel models indicate that attending a high school with a STEM program has a positive association with students' STEM-related outcomes, once we control for sample self-selection through propensity score matching, we do not find evidence that attending high schools with a math and science-focused program significantly influences trajectories of STEM educational advantage for public school students in North Carolina. Our study concludes that perhaps even more important for college STEM success than what happens in high school is what STEM-related academic, familial, and formal/informal learning experiences the student had prior to entering high school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on two events put on by the Committee on Economic Education of the American Economic Association (AEA). The June 1-3, 2016 Conference on Teaching and Research in Economic Education (CTREE) in Atlanta, Georgia is described. An event by the committee at the 2017 AEA meetings in Chicago, Illinois is described, noting papers on the economics major, evidence-based economics teaching, and undergraduate econometrics curriculum.

This qualitative case study examined the experiences of twenty-five African American students in STEM majors, at different junctures in their program of study. The students were interviewed in focus groups guided by a semi-structured interview protocol. Several themes emerged to describe the dynamic factors that both weakened and strengthened student perseverance and ontime degree completion. Themes describing barriers to degree completion include: ambivalence toward the teaching and learning environment; weak, formal, relationships with faculty, inadequate preparation for challenging classes; large classes and infrequent class offerings; and frustration with academic advising. Themes describing the militating factors include: peer support, student organizations, and mentoring. Particularly, the findings illuminate the importance of academically meaningful social activities for African American students enrolled in STEM majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cambodia has in the past 15 years been catching up with the global and regional trends of rapid expansion of higher education, but its specific socio-historical context has engendered particular life course and societal implications. Engaging with the current policy attention to the cause of skills mismatch in Cambodia, this article aims to provide a sociological perspective for understanding young people’s decision-making about university majors. Framing the entrance into university study as a context of risks and uncertainties for the life course, the article draws on in-depth, biographical interviews with 31 university students in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh and analyses their decision-making about university majors by focusing on the person–situation interactions the students negotiate. Their approaches to university major selection involve individual agency and practical resources and constraints. They involve personal and interpersonal trust, intuition and emotion, which have implications for how skills mismatch in Cambodian higher education should be tackled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students from diverse academic majors differ in their personalities. However, the study of the association between Machiavellianism (i.e., desire for power, status, and social dominance) and educational choices (i.e., academic major choices) that lay a path toward occupations that allow for those outcomes has been largely ignored. Using a large multinational sample of 35,025 participants across 50 majors, we found overall support for a significant association between Machiavellianism and academic major choice. We break down the results by sex and provide a cross-country comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In STEM fields other than biological sciences (math-intensive STEM), there is a greater ratio of males to females (M:F ratio) than that of the general population. The Ability Distribution Hypothesis suggests that this is mainly due to greater male variance in g. Others hypothesize that this is due to sex differences in occupational interests. There has not been an empirical study to evaluate which kind of differences has greater effects on the M:F ratios in math-intensive STEM fields. To fill the gap, we examine the test scores, application for majors and final admissions in a complete dataset of college entrance. We study the M:F ratios of four math-intensive STEM majors: Economics, Engineering, Computer Science and Physical sciences and Math. In summary, we find that greater male variance exists in total test scores; greater male variance partially explains the female underrepresentation in the upper tails of total test scores; men appear to have stronger interests in Engineering and Computer Science than women, while women appear to have stronger interests in Economics and to a lesser extent Physical sciences and Math than men; compared to sex differences in test scores, sex differences in major-choosing appear to have stronger effects on the M:F ratios of math-intensive STEM majors. • The data are the complete dataset generated in an actual college entrance process in China. • The present study uses a counterfactual analysis to evaluate the effect sizes of educational achievement and interest. • The present study uses a symmetry adjustment to correct for greater male variance in the lower end of the distribution. • The present study uses a bootstrapping method to evaluate how significantly model predictions depart from the observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a research on the history of the Education Sciences major in the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, in its 100th anniversary. For this purpose we carry out an historical analysis based on data from study plans, chronicles of meetings, minutes of conferences, and specialized bibliography of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, where the Education Sciences major was first founded in Argentina. The article organizes the history of the profession in four stages and presents the educational scenario that characterizes each one of them, the education of the graduates, and the professional practices used. The conclusions are aimed to acknowledge that the characteristics of the education and the professional inclusion spaces of late grant a new configuration of the Education Sciences major. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify when students choose their major and when students become interested in a career field, to devise a supply chain management (SCM) talent outreach strategy. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was administered to undergraduate students in SCM classes, and the responses were explored through multinomial logistic regression analyses. Findings – The paper revealed that interest in the career field is a major factor in choosing a college degree, among other factors. The timing of when a student chooses a major is influenced by interest in the field and whether or not the student lived abroad. The career field chosen is influenced by race, by whether or not the student lived abroad and by prior experience. Outreach strategies to attract new talent to supply chain-related fields should start prior to a student entering college. Research limitations/implications – Results are based on a survey research with a limited geographic coverage, and the research is limited to investigating student whose college major is other than SCM, leaving opportunities for further research where the college major is SCM. Originality/value – The authors provide original findings that improve outreach strategies to attract next generation supply chain talent. They also further the development of theory for the determinants of when a college major is selected and when interest in a career field begins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was designed to amplify a growing body of research that implicates minority male identity and interest in science and math learning and preparation for STEM careers. Specifically, this paper draws on both quantitative and qualitative data to examine factors influencing Black Males 'college readiness and success in STEM. Blending sociological theories on gender socialization and racialized campus environments, the author identifies several major factors ranging from pre-college STEM self-efficacy to concerted cultivation of Black boy s initial interest and sense of belonging in STEM. Survey data and illustrative quotes from interview participants demonstrate the relevance and significance of these findings and non-cognitive predictors of academic success. Implications for future policy, practice, and research are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Context: Schools are integral to augmenting and diversifying the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. This is because K-12 schools can inspire and reinforce students' interest in STEM, in addition to academically preparing them to pursue a STEM career. Previous literature emphasizes the importance of high-quality STEM academic preparation in high school and the role of informal and formal exposure to STEM as important influences on students' chances of following a STEM career. Interestingly, although many students decide to major in STEM fields while they are in high school, the majority of the extant literature about why students choose STEM majors primarily focuses on students' experiences during the college years. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: Through our research, we seek to investigate how learning experiences ofinspiration/reinforcemmt/preparation toward STEM that students have during high school can help explain the stark differences in STEM involvement by gender and ethnicity. We first investigate the importance of high school inspirational/ reinforcing/ preparatory experiences for students' intent to major in STEM while in high school. We then see how they relate to students' actual choice of a STEM major. We do this focusing on gender and racial/ethnic differences in outcomes. Specifically, we analyze the impact of the timing of high school STEM courses (algebra, biology, and physics), the quantity of STEM-related classes, and the quality of these courses on students' decision to pursue a college STEM major. Research Design: This is an analysis of quantitative data gathered about members of North Carolina's 2004 high school graduating class who also matriculated to one of the 16 campuses of the University of North Carolina system. Our research developed in two different stages. In the first stage, we utilize multilevel binomial models to examine students' intent to declare a STEM major in their senior year of high school. In the second, stage, we employ multilevel multinomial models to analyze chances of declaring a STEM major during the years 2005-2011, when students are in college. Findings/Results: Findings suggest that STEM experiences of inspiration/reinforcement/ preparation during high school interact with demographic variables to moderate students' interest in STEM. Taking physics and intending to major in STEM during high school are the variables most closely associated with students' choice of STEM as a major. In addition, taking physics is especially important for young women's odds of declaration of STEM. Conclusions/Recommendations: Findings suggest several policy recommendations: Provide a variety of high school learning STEM experiences that will link and augment students' interest in STEM; change the way physics is presented to female students; utilizing curricula and pedagogy that focus on ways that physics is personally relevant may increase the number of young women who take the course in high school; increase the quality of the STEM-related academic preparation of students; particular attention should be given to underrepresented subgroups of students; increase the offering of math and science-focused program at schools; and increase the availability of more. STEM-related co- and extracurricular experiences available to youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking advantage of unique longitudinal data, we provide the first characterization of what college students believe at the time of entrance about their final major, relate these beliefs to actual major outcomes, and provide an understanding of why students hold the initial beliefs about majors that they do. The data collection and analysis are based directly on a conceptual model in which a student's final major is best viewed as the end result of a learning process. We find that students enter school quite optimistic about obtaining a science degree, but that relatively few students end up graduating with a science degree. The substantial overoptimism about completing a degree in science can be attributed largely to students beginning school with misperceptions about their ability to perform well academically in science. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Concerns with the retention of women in engineering have led to the implementation of numerous programs to improve retention, including mentoring programs. The college of engineering at Washington State University (WSU) started a novel women's mentoring program in 2008, using professional engineers who graduated from WSU as mentors. The program is purely voluntary, and has grown from 30 mentors and 38 mentees in 2008 to 61 mentors and 90 mentees in 2011 (many mentors are willing to be paired up with more than one student). Preliminary results indicate that participants in the mentoring program are retained at a higher rate than students that do not participate; of the 42 freshmen entering WSU in the fall of 2010 and participating in the program, 74% have stayed in engineering compared to 68% for all 54 female freshman students. In past years (2003-2009), an average of 51% of female students are still in engineering at the end of their freshman year. This paper presents a model for a self-sustaining, effective women's mentoring program that has the potential to improve retention rates of women in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this study were to investigate the skill-related fitness levels of undergraduate kinesiology majors in relation to the general population of college students of the same age, to investigate whether a difference exists between females and males in overall performance, and to examine the relationship between fitness and kinesiology specializations. Undergraduate kinesiology students were assessed using skill-related fitness tests that included scores from power, agility, speed, and balance tests. It was anticipated that undergraduate kinesiology students would possess higher skilled fitness than (or, at a minimum, equal to) the general public; however, the results were ambiguous and also no significant differences were found between female and male performance. Data from this study can serve to update normative population information, to add to the body of knowledge of current fitness levels for this population, and to contribute to the issue of inclusion of fitness standards for kinesiology preprofessionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Gender differences in the first major selected in college are modeled. [•] Occupational plans in high school are the uniformly strongest predictors. [•] Associations with plans cannot be explained away by typical observed variables. [•] Gender differences in career orientations in adolescence deserve more attention. [•] The results are nonetheless still consistent with prior research on later STEM attrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors describe the place of econometrics in undergraduate economics curricula in all American colleges and universities that offer economics majors as listed in the U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges 2010” guide (U.S. News & World Report 2009). Data come from online catalogs, departmental Web sites, and online course syllabi. About one-third of the schools require econometrics of all students majoring in economics, about half require it of none, and a sixth require it of some, but not all, economics majors. Among universities with economics PhD programs and liberal arts colleges, almost all those ranked in the top 10 require it. Below the top 10, there is little correlation between ranking and econometrics requirements. Liberal arts econometrics classes are much more likely to require research projects than their counterparts in universities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hispanics' earnings remain below those of Whites, even after controlling for educational attainment. This article explores the effect of college major on estimated starting salaries of White and Hispanic bachelor's-degree recipients from Connecticut colleges and universities. Results indicate that while the earnings gap between Hispanic and White workers will decrease as bachelor's-degree attainment of Hispanics increases, differences in the distributions of students across college majors will mitigate that decrease. Las ganancias de individuos hispanos se mantienen más bajas que las de individuos blancos, aún después de controlar por educación obtenida. Este manuscrito explora el efecto de la especialidad en carrera o licenciatura, en los salarios iniciales estimados en estudiantes blancos e hispanos que recibieron su grado universitario en colegios y universidades de Connecticut. Los resultados indican que mientras que la brecha en ganancias entre trabajadores hispanos y blancos disminuirá conforme hispanos logran aumentar su graduación universitaria, las diferencias en las distribuciones de estudiantes a través de la especialidad mitiga aquella disminución. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of the book "Napoleon's Buttons" in teaching nonmajor science classes at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This approach encourages students to consider the effect of chemistry and science on history. It notes that the book serves as a supplement for traditional organic textbook. It is also incorporated into the curriculum and provides examples of the interdisciplinary nature of science.

The article presents a study conducted to increase the awareness of female students concerning Computer Science (CS) as a major and a career field to defy the male dominated industry stereotype. It states that the participants in the study were from ninth through 11th grade female high school students wherein they were asked to answer a set of structured questions. The results show that one participant indicated that success in CS was not based on gender and showed a strong objection to the idea that CS is mostly for male students only. It adds that the high school female students were able to realize the potential that has always been within them because of the study.

Like many other public Mexican universities, the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) has tried to contribute to the national development of Mexico by offering new undergraduate majors presumed to be better attuned to the needs of the labor market, while capping enrollments in traditional majors presumed to be redundant. Using data from one of the most extensive alumni studies in Mexico, we found that BUAP alumni who graduated in traditional majors do not show high unemployment or low satisfaction. On the contrary, the lowest levels of job satisfaction and the highest rates of unemployment are found among the graduates of non-traditional majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present data on grades from three Canadian universities. These data suggest that grading standards differ significantly across disciplines within universities. To the extent that grading standards are not uniform across disciplines, the grade point averages (GPAs) of students with different course mixes cannot be meaningfully compared, and therefore their GPAs cannot legitimately be used to assess their relative achievement. Yet GPAs are used in precisely this way—to award scholarships, honours and degrees, and to ration access to courses, academic programs, and jobs. Hence, we think differential standards raise a fundamental issue of integrity for universities. We develop a simple human capital model to assess some of the distortions arising from differential standards and suggest some non-intrusive ways to rectify the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends the analysis of the economic return of college education up to 10 years after college education and further examines the impact of college education on graduates’ hours of work. The results suggest that variation in hours of work explains a portion of earnings differentials among college graduates. Graduates from high-quality private institutions tend to work longer hours than their peers from other types of institutions. Female graduates spend fewer hours working than their male counterparts. As far as family background is concerned, graduates from high-income families tend to work longer hours and first-generation college graduates tend to work fewer hours. Finally, business majors seem to work longer hours while health and public affair majors less hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice University has created a team-taught interactive biology course for nonmajors with a focus on cutting edge biology in the news-advances in biotechnology, medicine, and science policy, along with the biological principles and methodology upon which these advances are based. The challenges inherent to teaching current topics were minimized by team-teaching the course, providing knowledge- able and enthusiastic lecturers for every topic while distributing the effort required to update material. Postdoctoral associates and advanced graduate students served as lecturers, providing an opportunity for them to develop their teaching skills and learn to communicate effectively with nonscientists on newsworthy topics related to their research. Laboratory tours, in-class demonstrations, and mock-ups helped lecturers convey surprisingly advanced ideas with students who lacked a strong theoretical or practical science background. A faculty member and co-coordinator administer the class, organize class activities, and mentor the speakers on teaching techniques and lecture design. Course design, lecture topics, hands-on activities, and approaches to successfully solve the difficulties inherent to team teaching are discussed. Course evaluations reflect student involvement in, and enjoyment of, the class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have examined the match between years of schooling and the schooling required for the job. The quantity of schooling is only one way to consider the match between schooling and jobs. This paper considers an alternative match between education and jobs based on the relationship between college majors and work activities. Twenty percent of workers report their work is not related to their degree field. Work-reported reasons for accepting such a position outside the field of study differ for men and women. The wage effects of mismatch vary considerably across the different reasons for accepting the position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact college degree field has on the hiring of higher education graduates (HEGs) in Europe. A discussion of the importance of graduating from certain degree fields in order to get particular types of jobs is presented. The impact a choice of degree field will have on job satisfaction of HEGs is discussed. The job satisfaction levels of recent European graduates are examined. Research data from CHEERS (Careers after Higher Education-A European Research Survey) is analyzed and discussed.

Our 5-year experiment with teaching and evaluating an inquiry course has led us to conclude that inquiry is a potent pedagogical tool in higher education, encouraging students to become self-directed and engaged learners. This article offers key ingredients and procedures for designing an inquiry-based course. It provides a pragmatic model of inquiry that describes the structure and function of such a course and the goals and learning objectives for students. This model of inquiry is widely applicable and will help faculty members from a variety of disciplines develop an innovative way of engaging and teaching students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In view of the shortage of students majoring in science, we examined the image of physics in terms of students' implicit, automatic associations with physics. Aims. To describe the specific image of physics that might alienate students (difficulty, masculinity, heteronomy) and test an intervention for altering the image. Samples. In Study 1 the sample consisted of 63 school students (11th grade) and in Study 2 the sample consisted of 71 undergraduates. Methods. Study 1 measured participants' implicit associations between physics (relative to English) and the image dimensions of difficulty, masculinity and heteronomy, implicit attitudes towards and identification with physics using latency data (Implicit Association Test; IAT) and explicit attitudes using a questionnaire. Study 2 was an experimental treatment that required reading a text (treatment group) that emphasized the importance of discourse and creativity for science versus a school textbook for physics (control group). Dependent variables: implicit attitudes (IAT). Results. Students in Study 1 associated physics (relative to English) more easily with words referring to difficulty (than to ease), to males (than to females), to heteronomy (than to self-realization), to unpleasantness (relative to pleasant words) and to others (relative to words referring to self). The three image aspects of difficulty, masculinity and heteronomy predicted explicit attitudes. Participants in the treatment group in Study 2 showed a significant reduction of the IAT effects compared to the control group. Conclusions. The findings indicate that students' negative explicit attitudes towards physics coincide with negative implicit associations about physics. An intervention addressing the alteration of implicit associations proved to be fruitful. Implications for science education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle and early college high schools offer traditionally underserved students the opportunity to simultaneously engage in high school and college classes, with the goal of attaining both a high school diploma and an associate degree within five years. This chapter describes how two such schools support students as they confront the complexities of their educational and personal lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holland’s theory of vocational preferences provides a powerful framework for studying students’ college experiences. A basic proposition of Holland’s theory is that individuals actively seek out and select environments that are congruent with their personality types. Although studies consistently support the self-selection proposition, they have not examined the processes underlying students’ selections. It seems reasonable to presume that many students select academic majors because they believe or expect that the academic environments will be congruent with their personalities. Using data from 631 entering students, this research examined the possibility that self-selection is related to students’ college expectations. Results provided support for the role of expectations in the selection of academic majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a large panel sample of undergraduates, we measured the social dominance orientation (SDO) scores of men and women once a year across a 4½-year period. Employing repeated-measures ANOVAs, we found that, even after controlling for the character of students' academic majors (hierarchy enhancing or hierarchy attenuating), males showed significantly higher SDO scores than did females across the entire college career. The data are discussed in terms of the invariance hypothesis within social dominance theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sophomores are the quiet ones, finishing avoided general education courses, changing their academic majors and residences, and worrying about finances. Jimmie Gahagan and Stuart Hunter describe new efforts to bring these students out of the shadows and help them succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Former participants in a high school enrichment program for girls interested in science careers were surveyed 1 to 2 years after high school graduation. After reporting their college major, they completed measures of science self-efficacy and quality of emotional bonds with parents. Of the 41 women, S were not enrolled in college. Those actually majoring in science (n = 23) reported significantly higher science self-efficacy than those who were undecided or had chosen nonscience majors (n = 13). Science self-efficacy was significantly negatively associated with recollections of fathers as having been highly controlling and likely to use a "love withdrawal" parenting style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an inter-regional study of 1,422 undergraduate business majors from thirteen (13) public universities in the United States. These universities were grouped into four (4) regions of the country-the northeast, the southeast, the central, and the west. Three dependent variables concerning student interest in (1) taking international business courses, (2) pursuing long-term and (3) short-term business career opportunities abroad, were compared to determine if regional differences occur. Independent variables, which were found to correlate with the dependent variables regarding higher levels of interest (results from a previous study), were also compared for regional differences. These independent variables included academic maturity, degree of international travel, number of languages spoken, and previous work experience with international companies. The statistical analysis used to determine differences between the regions regarding the dependent and independent variables included Cross Tabulations and Chi-Square, One-Way Analysis of Variance for the four regions for the interval scaled variables, and Kruskal-Wallis One-Way Analysis of Variance for k independent samples for the nominal and ordinal scaled variables. The results of the study indicate that students from the western region of the nation had higher levels of interest for pursuing international business courses and careers, and exhibited higher levels of international experiences regarding travel, the number of languages spoken, and work experiences with international companies. This region was closely followed by the southeast in levels of course and career interest. The central and northeastern regions overwhelmingly exhibit lower levels of interest and international travel experiences. Prescriptions are offered for the schools whose students exhibited lower levels of interest and international experiences to help remedy weaker feelings toward international business courses and careers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the interest and participation of women and racial minorities in mathematics and science majors and careers in the U.S. Studies which have examined factors influencing students' selection of mathematical and scientific college majors and careers suggest that the extent to which students like mathematics and science is a critical determinant of whether they actually pursue a college major in these fields than are students who have lower interest levels. This study is intended to identify such factors and to determine if these factors differ from men and women or for blacks and whites.

This article describes the rationale and process of developing and initiating a Master in International Business Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]