This proposal is for a poster that will highlight the progress of an ongoing NSF-funded project, Why Students Withdraw from Online STEM Courses. The study focuses on the reasons students withdraw from..
This proposal is for a poster that will highlight the progress of an ongoing NSF-funded project, Why Students Withdraw from Online STEM Courses. The study focuses on the reasons students withdraw from STEM programs. The study concentrates on several categories: administrative, external, environmental, and interpersonal factors. The administrative factors include the student registering for an incorrect course, registering for a course that is not needed for the student’s degree, or the student not receiving the required materials on time. The external and environmental factors include improper funding, professional or personal conflicts, and internet issues. The interpersonal factors include medical issues, conflicts with the instructor, and complaints regarding course content. The study also accounts for the student dropping the class without giving any feedback. The data was collected and evaluated using chi-square to compare the observed reasons for withdrawal with the expected reasons for student withdraw. By exploring these categories and evaluating the most common reasons the courses were dropped, the study aims to improve STEM programs and the resources associated with the programs.