ERIC Number: EJ1121486
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1542-3077
EISSN: N/A
STEMing the Shock: Examining Transfer Shock and Its Impact on STEM Major and Enrollment Persistence
Lakin, Joni M.; Cardenas Elliott, Diane
Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, v28 n2 p9-31 2016
Students who transfer between institutions of higher education often experience "transfer shock", a temporary decrease in academic performance (GPA) hypothesized to be due to changes in academic expectations between institutions. This study used university institutional records to explore the magnitude of transfer shock; the factors contributing to the GPA effects of transfer shock; and the impact of shock and other student characteristics on important academic outcomes, including persistence in a STEM major and baccalaureate degree. We found that STEM majors and students transferring from two-year institutions experienced the largest degree of transfer shock and that shock was a significant predictor of change of major. Most intriguingly, we found interaction effects where shock had a greater impact on institutional retention for two-year transfers and science or mathematics majors. Implications for future research and academic policies and interventions are discussed.
Descriptors: STEM Education, Enrollment, Academic Persistence, Grade Point Average, Higher Education, College Transfer Students, Majors (Students), Community Colleges, Two Year College Students, Two Year Colleges, Undergraduate Students, Research Universities, Regression (Statistics), Academic Records
National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. University of South Carolina, 1728 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208. Tel: 803-777-6229; Fax: 803-777-4699; e-mail: fye@sc.edu; Web site: http://sc.edu/fye/journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A