An Investigation of Effects of a Summer Bridge Program on Science,Technology,Engineering,and Mathematics Majoring Minoritized Students’ Achievement at a Higher Education Institution

Abstract

Minoritized students’ achievement disparity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors and the concomitant lack of workforce diversity in these careers have been serious concerns, prompting the need to search for intervention strategies. Research that updates the problem took varying approaches, including investigating the issue from the Summer Bridge Program (SBP) participation perspective. This study employed a quantitative methodology involving causal-comparative design. It aimed to investigate if there was any difference in achievements between SBP participant (SBP-P) and SBP non-participant (SBP-NP) STEM majoring college minoritized students. Tinto's student integration theory was used as the theoretical underpinning for this research. Data was gathered on the instrument from 99 SBP-P and 179 SBP-NP. The Mann–Whitney U test yielded statistically significant results, Z = −12.79, p < .001, indicating significant differences in Freshman GPA among the groups. While Dunn–Bonferroni post-hoc test indicated no significant “within-group” differences, it revealed significant “between-group” differences–p = .00.

Keywords

higher education institutions minoritized students STEM majors Summer Bridge Programs underrepresentation

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Aikens

M. L.

Robertson

M. M.

Sadselia

Watkins

Evans

Runyon

C. R.

Eby

L. T.

Dolan

E. L.

(2017). Race and gender differences in undergraduate research mentoring structures and research outcomes. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(2), ar34. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.16-07-0211

Aithal

(2020). Development and validation of survey questionnaire & experimental data – A systematical review-based statistical approach. International Journal of Management, Technology, and Social Sciences (IJMTS), 5(2), 233–251. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3724105

Al-Asmar

A. A.

Oweis

Ismail

N. H.

Sabrah

A. H. A.

Abd-Raheam

I. M.

(2021). The predictive value of high school grade point average to academic achievement and career satisfaction of dental graduates. BMC Oral Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-021-01662-5

Ashley

Cooper

K. M.

Cala

J. M.

Brownell

S. E.

(2017). Building better bridges into STEM: A synthesis of 25 years of literature on STEM summer bridge programs. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 16(4), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.17-05-0085

Barnett

E. A.

Bork

R. H.

Mayer

A. K.

Pretlow

Wathington

H. D.

Weiss

M. J.

(2012). Bridging the gap: An impact study of eight developmental summer bridge programs in Texas (ED533824). ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED533824

Barth

Dunlap

Bolland

A. C.

McCallum

D. M.

Acoff

(2021). Variability in STEM summer bridge programs: associations with belonging and STEM self-efficacy. Frontiers in Education, 6, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.667589

Bayanova

A. R.

Orekhovskaya

N. A.

Sokolova

N. L.

Shaleeva

E. F.

Knyazeva

S. A.

Budkevich

R. L.

(2023). Exploring the role of motivation in STEM education: A systematic review. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 19(4), em2250. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/13086

Bir

Myrick

(2015). Summer bridge’s effects on college student success. Journal of Developmental Education, 39(1), 22–30. https://www-jstor-org.web.bisu.edu.cn/stable/24613999

Bottia

M. C.

Mickelson

R. A.

Jamil

Moniz

Barry

(2021). Factors associated with college STEM participation of racially minoritized students: A synthesis of research. Review of Educational Research, 91(4), 614–648. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543211012751

10.

Bradford

B. C.

Beier

M. E.

Oswald

F. L.

(2021). A meta-analysis of university STEM summer bridge program effectiveness. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(2), ar21. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-03-0046

11.

Bryson

Kowalske

Wilkins-Yel

Housh

(2023). The Influence of Advisors’ Advising Style on the Career Interests of Black and Latinx Students in STEM Graduate Programs. Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, 24(1), https://jstem.org/jstem/index.php/JSTEM/article/view/2620

12.

Bucher

B. A.

(2017). Graduate Student Support: Using Wellness Programming to Promote Connection, Community, and Sense of Belonging [Conference presentation]. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio, United States.

13.

Bushnell

(2021). Educational disparities among racial and ethnic minority youth in the United States. Ballard Brief. https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue briefs/educational-disparities-among-racial-and-ethnic-minority-youth-in-the united-states

14.

Cançado

Reisel

J. R.

Walker

C. M.

(2018). Impacts of a summer bridge program in engineering on student retention and graduation. Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research, 19(2), 26–31. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/184164/

15.

Chang

C. N.

Lin

Kwok

O. M.

Saw

G. K.

(2023). Predicting STEM major choice: A machine learning classification and regression tree approach. Journal for STEM Education Research, 6, 358–374. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-023-00099-5

16.

Chopra

Ranjan

Malhotra

Sahu

Dwivedi

S. N.

Baitha

Goel

Kumar

(2021). Development and validation of a questionnaire to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on lifestyle-related behaviors: Eating habits, activity, and sleep behavior. Public Health Nutrition, 24(6), 1275–1290. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020004656

17.

Cooper

K. M.

Ashley

Brownell

S. E.

(2018). Breaking down barriers: A bridge program helps first-year biology students connect with faculty. Journal of College Science Teaching, 47(4), 60–70. https://doi.org/10.2505/4/jcst18_047_04_60

18.

Creswell

J. W.

Creswell

J. D.

(2018). Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage.

19.

Creswell

Guetterman

(2019). Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (6th Ed.). Pearson.

20.

Dönmez

Gülen

Ayaz

(2022). Impact of argumentation-based STEM activities on ongoing STEM motivation. Journal for STEM Education Research, 5, 78–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-021-00062-2

21.

Draganov

Kim

Yoon

S. W.

(2023). Increasing retention of underrepresented students in STEM fields at California community colleges: A study of the STEM2 program. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 26(4), 1147–1164. https://doi.org/10.1177/15210251221149648

22.

Durkheim

(1951). Suicide: A study in sociology (J. A. Spaulding & G. Simpson, trans.). Free Press. (Original work published 1897).

23.

Evans

B. D.

(2014). Factors that affect academic performance and retention status: A study of a summer bridge program (Doctoral dissertation, Auburn University). https://hdl-handle-net.web.bisu.edu.cn/10415/4313

24.

Fayer

Lacey

Watson

(2017). Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) occupations: Past, present, and future. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2017/science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-occupations-past-present-and-future/home.htm

25.

Foltz

L. G.

Gannon

Kirschmann

S. L.

(2014). Factors that contribute to the persistence of minority students in STEM fields. Planning for Higher Education, 42(4), 1–13. https://www.scup.org/resource/factors-that-contribute-to-the-persistence-of-minority-students-in-stem-fields/

26.

French

(2017). Toward a new conceptual model: Integrating the social change model of leadership development and Tinto's model of student persistence. Journal of Leadership Education, 16, 97–117. https://doi.org/10.12806/V16%2FI3%2FT4

27.

Fry

Kennedy

Funk

(2021). STEM jobs see uneven progress in increasing gender, racial and ethnic diversity. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2021/04/01/stem-jobs-see-uneven-progress-in-increasing-gender-racial-and-ethnic-diversity/

28.

Ghazzawi

Pattison

Horn

(2021). Persistence of underrepresented minorities in STEM fields: Are summer bridge programs sufficient? Frontiers in Education, 6, 630529. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.630529

29.

Gonçalves

G. S.

Serra

F. A. R.

Storopoli

J. E.

Scafuto

I. C.

Rafael

D. N.

(2024). Undergraduate student retention activities: challenges and research agenda. SAGE Open, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241249334

30.

Guan

J. K.

(2017). Assessing institutional efforts to culturally integrate international undergraduate students (Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University). Scholarworks. https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/handle/2022/21668

31.

Gutzwiler

A. D.

(2020). Influence of summer bridge programs on first-generation Latino students’ academic success (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University). Scholarworks. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=11012&context=dissertations

32.

Han

Kelley

T. R.

Knowles

J. G.

(2021). Factors influencing student STEM learning: Self-efficacy and outcome expectancy, 21st century skills, and career awareness. Journal for STEM Education Research, 4, 117–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-021-00053-3

33.

Hawley

C. E.

Cardoso

McMahon

B. T.

(2013). Adolescence to adulthood in STEM education and career development: The experience of students at the intersection of underrepresented minority status and disability. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 39(3), 193–204. https://doi.org/10.3233/jvr-130655

34.

Hudson

M. A.

Baek

Ching

Rice

(2020). Using a multifaceted robotics-based intervention to increase student interest in STEM subjects and careers. Journal for STEM Education Research, 3, 295–316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-020-00032-0

35.

IBM. (2023). SPSS Statistics. https://www.ibm.com/products/spss-statistics

36.

Institute of Education Sciences, IES. (2016). Summer bridge programs: Supporting Postsecondary Success. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/InterventionReport/661

37.

Kemp

A. D.

(2016). The CLASS action survey: An assessment instrument designed to evaluate students’ subjective attitudes regarding a course in college student retention and persistence to graduation. Education, 137, 133–140. http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1121508

38.

Kitchen

J. A.

Sadler

Sonnert

(2018). The impact of summer bridge programs on college students’ STEM career aspirations. Journal of College Student Development, 59(6), 698–715. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2018.0066

39.

Kricorian

Seu

Lopez

Ureta

Equils

(2020). Factors influencing participation of underrepresented students in STEM fields: matched mentors and mindsets. International Journal of STEM Education, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00219-2

40.

Küçükaydın

M. A.

Ulum

(2025). Understanding STEM career interest: STEM experiences, stereotypes, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging. Journal for STEM Education Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-025-00146-3

41.

Milligan

(2023). Grounding summer bridge programs in virtual cultural engagement strategies during an international pandemic: Future considerations for practice. New Directions for Student Services, 181, 19–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20452

42.

Lynch

E. E.

Malcoe

L. H.

Laurent

S. E.

Richardson

Mitchell

B. C.

Meier

H. C. S.

(2021). The legacy of structural racism: Associations between historic redlining, current mortgage lending, and health. SSM - Population Health, 14, 100793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100793

43.

Martin

Goldwasser

Galentino

(2017). Impact of cohort bonds on student satisfaction and engagement. Current Issues in Education, 19(3). https://doaj.org/article/026c162033d243a7b159ab2809727ae8

44.

Martínez

Segura

Andújar

J. M.

Ceada

(2023). The gender gap in STEM careers: An inter-regional and transgenerational experimental study to identify the low presence of women. Education Sciences, 13(7), 649. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070649

45.

Master

Meltzoff

A. N.

(2016). Building bridges between psychological science and education: Cultural stereotypes, STEM, and equity. PROSPECTS, 46(2), 215–234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-017-9391-z

46.

Meaders

C. L.

Lane

A. K.

Morozov

A. I.

Shuman

J. K.

Toth

E. S.

Stains

Stetzer

M. R.

Vinson

Couch

B. A.

Smith

M. K.

(2020). Undergraduate student concerns in introductory stem courses: What they are, how they change, and what influences them. Journal for STEM Education Research, 3(2), 195–216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-020-00031-1

47.

Meador

(2018). Examining recruitment and retention factors for minority STEM majors through a stereotype threat lens. School Science and Mathematics, 118(1-2), 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12260

48.

Müller

C. C.

Kayyali

Elzomor

(2023). Factors Affecting Enrollment, Retention, and Attrition of STEM Undergraduates at a Minority Serving Institution [Conference presentation]. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition, Baltimore, MD, United States.

49.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Increasing student success in developmental mathematics. Proceedings of a Workshop, Washington, DC. The National Academies Press.

50.

National Center for Education Statistics, NCES. (2024). High school longitudinal study of 2009 (HSLS:09): User manuals. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d24/tables/dt24_318.45.asp

51.

Neklason

(2019). The history of privilege in elite-college admissions. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/03/history-privilege-elite-college-admissions/585088/

52.

Nicoletti

M. C.

(2019). Revisiting the tinto’s theoretical dropout model. Higher Education Studies, 9(3), 52. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v9n3p52

53.

Nkrumah

Scott

K. A.

(2022). Mentoring in STEM higher education: A synthesis of the literature to (re)present the excluded women of color. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00367-7

54.

Parrotta

Pozzoli

Pytlikova

(2014). Labor diversity and firm productivity. European Economic Review, 66, 144–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2013.12.002

55.

Patrick

A. D.

Andrews

M. E.

Riegle-Crumb

Kendall

M. R.

Bachman

Subbian

(2023). Sense of belonging in engineering and identity centrality among undergraduate students at Hispanic-serving institutions. Journal of Engineering Education, 112, 316–336. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20510

56.

Quiroz

G. A.

Garza

N. R.

(2018). Focus on student success: Components for effective summer bridge programs. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 17(2), 101–111. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192717753988

57.

Riegle-Crumb

King

Irizarry

(2019). Does stem stand out? Examining racial/ethnic gaps in persistence across postsecondary fields. Educational Researcher, 48(3), 133–144. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X19831006

58.

Rincon

B. E.

George-Jackson

C. E.

(2016). STEM Intervention programs: Funding practices and challenges. Studies in Higher Education, 41(3), 429–444. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.927845

59.

Rogayan

D. V., Jr.

Rafanan

R. J.

De Guzman

C. Y.

(2021). Challenges in stem learning: A case of Filipino high school students. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pembelajaran IPA, 7(2), 232–244. https://doi.org/10.30870/jppi.v7i2.11293

60.

Sáinz

Müller

(2018). Gender and family influences on Spanish students’ aspirations and values in stem fields. International Journal of Science Education, 40, 188–203. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2017.1405464

61.

Sakellariou

Fang

(2021). Self-efficacy and interest in STEM subjects as predictors of the STEM gender gap in the US: The role of unobserved heterogeneity. International Journal of Educational Research, 109, 101821. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101821

62.

Sovero

Buchinsky

Baird

M. D.

(2021). Playing catch-up: A term-level investigation of the racial gap in STEM retention. Economics of Education Review, 83, 102146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102146

63.

Steindórsdóttir

B. D.

Arnulf

J. K.

Norbom

H. M.

(2024). Does grade point average have a long-lasting impact on career success later in life? A resource caravans’ perspective from adolescence to mid-career. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 155, 104063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2024.104063

64.

Tinto

(1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89–125. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543045001089

65.

Tinto

(1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

66.

Tinto

(2017). Reflections on student persistence. Student Success, 8(2), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5204/SSJ.V8I2.376

67.

Van Gennep

(1960). The rites of passage. University of Chicago Press.

68.

Wheeler-Bell

(2017). Educating the elite: A social justice education for the privileged class. Philosophical Inquiry in Education, 24(4), 379–399. https://doi.org/10.7202/1070693a

69.

Zigmont

Wolfe

(2023). Sources of STEM and STEM career messaging for adolescent English learners. Science Educator, 29(2), 107–117. https://2n10e2vl7-mp01-y-https-www-proquest-com.proxy.lirn.net/scholarly-journals/sources-stem-career-messaging-adolescent-english/docview/2863499231/se-2