Disciplinary Socialization in Undergraduate STEM Students

Abstract

When students select their major, they also indirectly choose to become a part of a new disciplinary community. How they elect to engage and interact with this community can have significant impacts in their persistence in their chosen major, as well as the quality of their experience. However, little is known about disciplinary socialization, the process by which students learn the customs, behaviors, and values of their disciplines, at the undergraduate level. This research proposal aims to begin the process of bridging this gap in knowledge by exploring the experiences of STEM students as they progress throughout their degrees from first year through to graduation. This work seeks to investigate how disciplinary socialization affects students throughout their progression in their chosen degree program, as well as how disciplinary socialization experiences subsequently affect students’ engagement as a member of their disciplinary community.