One of the things that has caught my attention early on is the comment that I read that engineering students are different that math and science because of the salaries that Engineers earn. Interesting. I knew that but it is still a "duh" moment in that it can really change motivation, and maybe those that do switch think "wow, I really shouldn't switch because the money is so good as an engineer" So makes more pressure for students to stay.
Of course (as also stated in the book) there has been a decline in the number of students in STEM fields since the 1980's, but why still with the perceived (or real) need for more engineers?
The other interesting statistic I latched on to was the drop in students in science and math teaching careers in 1966 from 22% to 9% in 1988. Wow.
Okay, more interesting stuff. I never thought about the decline in scientific literacy of the general public translating into freshman leaving STEM fields, but makes sense.
"Science is Hard" and Occupy Wall Street
12 years ago
Yes, but TAL is pretty clear that those with extrinsic motivations are much more likely to leave than those with intrinsic motivations. It would be interesting to give a survey in ENGR2100 to ask reasons for taking engineering and track students longitudinally to see how those who take engineering for the money fare...
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