Factors that Influence Chemistry Students’ Decisions to "Drop Out" of Graduate School

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 1 Issue 6 (1997), S1430-4171(97)06068-8

Factors that Influence Chemistry Students’ Decisions to "Drop Out" of Graduate School

Margaret Workman and George Bodner*

Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1393

Published online: 27 February 1997

Abstract. Focus group interviews were used to study the decision-making process by which chemistry graduate students decided to "drop out" of graduate school with an M.S. degree. Several factors played a role in the participants’ decisions to change their career goals, including balancing family and career, preconceptions (or misconceptions) about the nature of graduate school, role conflict versus role congruence, and self-esteem. Significant differences were found between the factors that influenced the career choices made by the male and female graduate students in the sample population. Significant differences were also found in the reactions to their decisions that the male and female graduate students received from their families, peers, and faculty mentors.

Key Words: Of Special Interest; gender, graduate students, graduate school retention, role conflict, focus group interviews, qualitative research, dropping out of graduate school

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: gmbodner@vm.cc.purdue.edu)

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