Does Transfer Pathway Uptake Help or Hinder Access to STEM Fields in Postsecondary Education? A View From Canada

Abstract

Considerable scholarly attention has been devoted to how gender, race and various other demographic factors shape the odds of majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs. Such work has identified sizable disparities in access to STEM fields across various dimensions. In turn, these empirical findings have informed productive discussions about the social and institutional mechanisms that prevent marginalised groups from entering STEM, along with the potential strategies that could be used at multiple levels (e.g., government and institutional) to address them. Despite the increasing size of this literature, little energy has been devoted to examining the extent to which uptake of transfer pathways is associated with the odds of eventually majoring in a STEM field. Does transfer divert students away from STEM fields? Does it primarily function as an ‘on-ramp’ for students from other disciplines to enter STEM? We find that students who travel transfer pathways into the university sector are less likely to major in STEM, but those that travel transfer pathways into the community college sector are more likely to major in STEM. We identify some of the mechanisms that could be contributing to these trends and highlight some prospective strategies for addressing the potential structural barriers faced by students wishing to enter STEM.