Abstract
Classroom design is related to student satisfaction and learning, but its effect on student retention is unknown. This exploratory study compared the impact of classroom design on social integration and retention among STEM first-time, full-time college freshmen in a first-year seminar course by comparing classroom sizes (large (LL) vs. small (SL) lecture), classroom formats (lecture (SL) vs. flipped classroom (FC)), and classroom student composition of students at risk of attrition based on low math placement scores (combined low math (CLM) vs. separated low math (SLM)). To capture social integration of freshman after their first semester, students completed a survey for course credit. Retention rates of freshman returning to the university for their second year were included. Almost all students in all classrooms had made friends in college; most had made friends with peers in the course and were spending time with them outside of class. Compared with LL students, SL reported lower satisfaction with their overall social life. More FC students were satisfied with their social life, and fewer found making friends to be harder than expected. These findings showed even greater disparities between groups for at-risk students. SLM students exhibited lower social integration than CLM students. The CLM flipped classroom retained the highest percentage of students at the university into the second year. Findings from the present study suggest that integrating at-risk students into a first-year seminar flipped classroom that matches student composition of the major benefits social integration and retention into the second year, for all students as well as those with low math scores.
Highlights
Student retention is often defined as first-time, full-time college students returning to the institution for their second year and is associated with greater student persistence and graduation rates [1]
While classroom size and teaching modality have been previously examined, their impact on retention-related social integration of at-risk STEM students in a first-year seminar has not. erefore, this exploratory study aimed to compare the impact of classroom design on social integration and retention among at-risk STEM students. e primary purpose of this study was to investigate outcomes related to social integration for the entire class, but especially students at-risk for attrition based on lower incoming math scores, by comparing classroom size, classroom format, and classroom composition
Fewer in the LL group enjoyed the format of their class, but this was not seen in low math students
Summary
Student retention is often defined as first-time, full-time college students returning to the institution for their second year and is associated with greater student persistence and graduation rates [1]. Nationwide, nearly a third of first-year freshman do not return for their sophomore year and undergraduate 5-year graduation rates are ∼40%. Retention of STEM students is especially critical given that attrition rates are higher than their non-STEM peers [2]. Due to the rigorous scientific coursework that begins in the first semester of the freshman year, undergraduate STEM-based physiology programs are vulnerable to retention-related issues, and physiology freshman with weaker math preparation are especially at risk. Previous work from our program has found that compared with their peers, freshman with lower incoming math scores transfer out of the major and institution at a higher rate than their peers by their second year (major: low math 61%, high math 34%; university: low math 26%, high math 9%) [6]
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