BUILDing an Early Advantage: An Examination of the Role of Strategic Interventions in Developing First-Year Undergraduate Students’ Science Identity

Abstract

The federal government and a number of nonprofit, non-governmental agencies have invested heavily in programs designed to provide research opportunities, financial support, and mentorship to undergraduates in science-related fields. These efforts are aimed at supporting students' matriculation in science majors and into science-related careers. This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine whether college students who participate in a federally sponsored intervention program develop significantly stronger science identities in their first year of college compared to their peers who do not participate in the intervention. Results suggest intervention participants develop significantly stronger science identities compared to their counterparts in the control group, but these benefits are somewhat mitigated after controls for mentoring enter the model.