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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until August 06, 2025

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Evaluating the Quality of Measures for Assessing the Social and Academic Integration of Underrepresented Minority Students in STEM.

Anyidoho, Philomina Abena
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1688771866815895

Abstract Details

2023, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Educational Studies.
Social and academic integration positively affects student retention and graduation from college. This is especially so for minority students in STEM who are faced with challenges that are likely to affect their integration into their institutions of study. The Ohio Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (OH LSAMP) seeks to increase the number of graduating racial/ethnic underrepresented minority students in STEM (referred to as students). To achieve this objective, the program implements activities aimed at supporting the academic and social integration of students, among others. Two subscales in the Annual Survey of the OH LSAMP are used to determine whether students who participate in the program are academically and socially integrated compared to their colleagues who do not. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of items used to measure students’ academic and social integration. Data collected by an external evaluator for the OH LSAMP was used for this study. Responses from 597 and 468 students on the academic integration and social integration scales respectively were used in the analysis. Factor analytic (FA) approach was used to first examine the structure/dimension of the two scales. Both scales were found to be multidimensional - a bifactor model with one specific group factor for academic integration and two group factors for social integration The bifactor models for the two scales suggest that both scales measure a general construct. However, some of the items share a common variance that is not accounted for by the general factor. Item response theory (IRT) approaches were then used to examine differential item function (DIF) across gender, institution type, and first-generation status in the two scales. No substantial DIF was found across gender, institution type, and first-generation status for the academic integration scale. This suggests that given equal values of academic integration the scale can be used to compare scores across gender, institution type, and first-generation status. In the social integration scale, substantial DIF was observed across gender. Further analysis showed the presence of different facets of social integration in the scale. Male students’ individual differences were more evident in items that captured self-confidence and discrimination while female students’ differences were more evident in items that cover belonging and imposter syndrome feelings. These results raise the question of whether male and female students integrate differently socially. Due to the underlying nature of gender in the other observed groups, DIF was not examined in those groups. Test Information functions were developed for each of the factors in the bifactor model for the two scales. For social integration, different TIFs were developed for male and female students. Generally, the scales were better at discriminating between students with lower scores on academic integration and social integration. The results of this study highlight the importance of assessing the quality of measures used in undertaking evaluations. It also provides guidance to the OH LSAMP program for the revisions of items on the two scales to improve evaluation activities.
Dorinda Gallant (Advisor)
208 p.
Education; Educational Evaluation
Ohio LSAMP, STEM, Academic Integration, Social Integration, DIF, Underrepresented minority

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Anyidoho, P. A. (2023). Evaluating the Quality of Measures for Assessing the Social and Academic Integration of Underrepresented Minority Students in STEM. [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1688771866815895

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Anyidoho, Philomina. Evaluating the Quality of Measures for Assessing the Social and Academic Integration of Underrepresented Minority Students in STEM. 2023. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1688771866815895.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Anyidoho, Philomina. "Evaluating the Quality of Measures for Assessing the Social and Academic Integration of Underrepresented Minority Students in STEM." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1688771866815895

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1688771866815895
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.