Comparative Study of Social Integration Disparities Between First-Generation and Non-First-Generation STEM Students

Tyler Giorcelli* and Miriam Leary

Miriam Leary Department of Exercise Physiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Presentation Category: Behavioral & Social Sciences (Poster Presentation #78)

Student’s Major: Exercise Physiology

First-generation (FG) students leave STEM fields at higher rates than non-first generation (NFG) counterparts. This study explored the role of social integration in graduates from STEM majors and compared responses between FG and NFG students. An anonymous online survey was emailed to graduating seniors in a STEM major during the last month of classes at a public 4- year land grant institution in Appalachia. Of 110 invited participants, 91 (83%) completed the survey. Twenty students (22%) self-identified as FG (85% female) and 71 (52% female) did not. FG students had a lower GPA than NFG (3.28 ± 0.28 vs. 3.5 ± 0.34, p<0.05), but the percentage of Honors students were similar between groups (27% NFG, 25% FG). Fewer FG were satisfied with their social life (85% NFG, 75% FG); despite a similar sense of connectedness with other students in the major (80% NFG, 75% FG) fewer FG students felt a strong sense of connectedness with other university students (90% NFG, 75% FG). FG students were less likely to spend time with friends rather than alone (70% NFG, 45% FG) and have a strong social network at the institution by their senior year (90% NFG, 80% FG). FG students were more likely to work (39% NFG, 50%), but less likely to participate in Greek life (11% NFG, 0% FG), tutoring (35% NFG, 20% FG), and campus events (31% NFG, 20% FG). Even after successfully persisting within a STEM major to graduation, FG students show lower social integration than NFG students.

Funding: NASA West Virginia Space Grant Consortium (WVSGC)

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: Other, Undergraduate Research Grant