ERIC Number: EJ1250741
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-May
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0361-0365
EISSN: N/A
The Impact of an Interest-Major Fit Signal on College Major Certainty
Moore, Joann L.; Cruce, Ty M.
Research in Higher Education, v61 n3 p383-407 May 2020
Students' choice of college major is related to their interests (Porter and Umbach in Res High Educ 47:429-449, 2006), and students whose major is well-aligned with their interests are more likely to persist in that major (Allen and Robbins in Res Higher Educ 49(1):62-79, 2008) and complete a college degree in a timely manner (Allen and Robbins in J Couns Psychol 51(1):23-35, 2010). This study investigates whether a specific signal (i.e., Low, Medium, or High fit) that high school students receive about the alignment between their initial choice of planned major and their measured interests has an impact on the subsequent certainty of their initial choice of planned major. A regression discontinuity design was used to investigate the stability/increase in planned major certainty across two ACT administrations for students with Medium versus Low fit and High versus Medium fit. Results did not provide evidence that the signal is effective; possible explanations and recommended future research are discussed.
Descriptors: Decision Making, Majors (Students), Student Interests, Academic Persistence, High School Students
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: ACT Interest Inventory
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A