GEOSCIENCE MAJOR CAREER CHOICE: INVESTIGATION OF PATHWAYS THAT LEAD STUDENTS TO THE GEOSCIENCES

Little systematic research has been done investigating pathways that lead students into studying the geosciences as a college major. Anecdotal evidence suggest poor high school experiences, lack of information and lack of interest contribute to low enrollment and pursuit of the major at the university level. This study assessed college-student motivations for selecting the geosciences as an academic major. It identified common reasons students had for their interest in the geosciences, as well as common catalysts that guided students into the major. In addition, it evaluated students’ self-efficacy in being successful geoscientists and determined the implications these factors have with students’ future careers in geoscience.

Researchers developed a semi-structured interview protocol informed by Flannigan’s critical incident theory to identify common experiences between the diverse geoscience majors. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory was used to further assess interests, motivations, ambitions and future goals of geoscience students post-graduation. The sample population includes 17 undergraduate, geoscience majors ranging from the freshman to senior level. Two U.S. Midwest research universities were sampled for cross-comparison and analysis. Data sources include semi-structured interviews averaging 60 minutes, a 34-question Likert-based survey and demographic data for each of the 17 participants.

Qualitative analyses confirm that common critical incidences do exist among geoscience students including family vacations or making rock collections. Prior exposure to the geosciences in the media, popular culture or in an academic setting were also shown to spark initial interest. Furthermore, results show that geoscience students share a common approach in thinking and learning about science that reflects the applicative nature of geoscience work. Efficacious behavior further promotes intrinsic motivations to continue pursuit of geosciences including graduate school, oil industry and science teaching. Identification of these commonalities between geoscience students may yield insight into the geoscience student population at large to aide with recruiting and retention initiatives for academia and industry.