Differences in Stress Levels Between STEM And Non-STEM Majors and What Are the Main Factors Contributing to Student’s Stress on Campus

Abstract

Stress is one of the issues that affect students who take STEM and non-STEM majors on campus. However, the stress varies in these majors, and other than this, there are certain factors that contribute to the stress among the students. In this paper, we explore the differences in stress levels between STEM and non-STEM majors and what are the main factors contributing to student’s stress on campus. This exploration is conducted through a survey of participants regarding the factors that led to stress among the students. It was discovered that the majority of the students who took STEM and non-STEM majors rarely encountered great levels of stress. The least number of students always faced great levels of stress. Moderate and mild is the highest and lowest level of stress that the students who take STEM majors face, respectively, on an everyday basis from their workload. In non-STEM majors, mild and severe is the highest and lowest level of stress that the students who enrolled for non-STEM majors face, respectively, on a daily interval from their workload. The majority of male students rarely faced great high levels of stress. The least number of students always faced high levels of stress. The majority of the female students often encountered high levels of stress. The least number of female students never faced high levels of stress. The findings can be used by the academic stakeholders to understand the factors that affect the students and possible solutions to overcome them.

 

 

Introduction

Stress is the natural response of the body to difficulties. It is an essential and inescapable concomitant of everyday living. Stress is considered essential because its absence would imply that individuals are pathetic organisms. Evidently, there is a variation of stress levels in STEM and non-STEM majors. STEM subject content is intertwined between the similar and distinct subjects, and such content progression impacts the experiences of student learning. STEM faculty utilizes substantially distinct pedagogies than their counterparts teaching non-STEM subjects. The key distinctions highlighted in the teaching styles entail motivating integrative and reflective learning. They discovered lower expectations for integrative and reflective learning among STEM teachers when comparing to other teachers [1].

These distinctions in the styles of learning imply that the students taking these STEM subjects might not have the potential to develop a similar level of intellectual self-reflection skills such as those students in non-STEM subjects. STEM which is an abbreviation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics entails complex structures that necessitate great levels of stress despite the age or grade, and it can distort with the capability of the student to learn, memorize, and garner high grades and result to poor emotional, physical, and mental health. In addition, stress has been tightening its grip on the students when attempting to compete at each step of their academic career in this in this quick-moving world. Academic stress is due to the integration of associated academic demands that surpass the adaptive resources present to the person.

Methods

Participants

            In total, our study constituted 52 participants. Most of the participants were taking STEM majors. Therefore, it is probable that the age of the majority of the participants was in the early twenties.

Instrument

            The instrument for our exploration comprised of 7 questions. The questions were centered on STEM and non-STEM majors when deciding to take subjects in a college. One of the questions inquired the participants to determine the frequency of stress among the students taking STEM and non-STEM majors in the college. The question was selected because it assisted in evaluating the difference in stress levels in STEM and non-STEM majors.

Another question asked to assess the frequency of stress and gender among the students taking STEM and non-STEM majors. In this question, the respondents could choose multiple responses. The question was selected because it assisted in understanding the interval of stress affecting gender.

Another question asked participants to evaluate the non-academic stressors for students taking STEM and non-STEM majors. In this question, the participants could select many responses. This question was entailed to discover the factors that contribute to stress facing the for students taking STEM and non-STEM majors. Upon obtaining the data, we could focus on the hiring of psychologists that would help the students overcome the stress that they are encountering. On a survey, we would ask the student body what their major is, rating their stress levels in different areas from 1-10, and what their top three causes of stress are, out of a provided list.

Procedure

The SurveyMonkey was the electronic survey site that helped to manage the survey. The respondents were conducted through social media. A link was posted for the survey in Twitter and Facebook to get responses from the students.

Comparison of STEM and non-STEM majors

            The students were distributed in terms of the year in school. Fifty-two students from different years participated in the survey. Twenty-three students from freshman year accounted for the highest number of students in terms of the year in school. The number of students in both the sophomore and junior level was fourteen each. There was only one student in the senior year who participated in the survey (Figure 1).

Based on the survey, 71.15% of the students accounted for the male gender in the school. On the other hand, 28.85% of the students represented the female gender in the academic institution (Figure 2).

 

 

According to the survey, 29 students took the STEM majors in the school. In contrast, 23 students took the non-STEM majors in the academic institution (Figure 3). The male gender accounted for the majority of the students who took the STEM and non-STEM majors. The female gender took the least portion of the students who enrolled for the STEM and non-STEM majors (Figure 4).

 

 

Stress in STEM and non-STEM majors

Most of the students who took STEM and non-STEM majors rarely experienced high levels of stress. The least number of students always encountered high levels of stress (Figure 5).

Based on the survey, most of the male students rarely experienced high levels of stress. The least number of students always encountered high levels of stress. The majority of female students often encountered high levels of stress. The least number of female students never faced high levels of stress (Figure 6).

According to the survey, moderate is the highest level of stress (44.23%) that the students face on an everyday basis from their workload. Very mild is the least level of stress (13.46%) that the students encounter on a daily basis from their workload (Figure 7).

 

 

 

 

Moderate and mild is the highest and lowest level of stress that the students who take STEM majors face, respectively, on an everyday basis from their workload. In non-STEM majors, mild and severe is the highest and lowest level of stress that the students who take non-STEM majors encounter, respectively, on a daily interval from their workload (Figure 8).

The school-work balance is the most non-academic stressor that the students encounter in their academic life. The financial issue is the least non-academic stressor that the students face in their academic life (Figure 9).

 

Most of the students believe that the stress they experience from their academics should be lower. On the other hand, the least number of students believe that the stress they encounter from their academics should be lower (Figure 10).

Among the students who take non-STEM majors, most of the students believe that the stress they experience from their academics should be lower. The majority of the students who take STEM majors believe that the stress they face from their academics should be lower (Figure 11).

The majority of the students believe that their major contributes to the levels of stress they encounter.  The least number of students believe that their major contributes to the levels of stress they face.

Among the students who took STEM majors, most of them believe that their major contributes to the stress levels they encounter. In non-STEM majors, most of them do not believe that their major leads to the levels of stress they face.

Discussion

The work presented here differences in stress levels between STEM and non-STEM majors and what are the main factors contributing to student’s stress on campus. The participants were surveyed on the factors that impact this decision. The outcome of the survey indicates the factors that contribute to the stress of students on campus. Nonetheless, most of the students who took STEM and non-STEM majors rarely experienced high levels of stress. The least number of students always encountered high levels of stress. Moderate and mild is the highest and lowest level of stress that the students who take STEM majors face, respectively, on an everyday basis from their workload. In non-STEM majors, mild and severe is the highest and lowest level of stress that the students who take non-STEM majors encounter, respectively, on a daily interval from their workload.  Students engaging in STEM programs have increased over the year; whoever the retention rate appears marginal, especially with women and minority groups. Both the STEM and non-STEM program students appear to be equal with the same number of long-term retention despite their diverse backgrounds [1].

Women experience hostility in the STEM climate as they intend to join this program. A close comparison of the experience of white men and women in STEM and non-STEM programs shows that the STEM program is less hospitable to both white men and women. Learning about the perception of the work and contextual disparities helps universities in changing their climatic conditions [2]. From the findings in figure 6, most of the male students rarely experienced high levels of stress. The least number of students always encountered high levels of stress. The majority of the female students often encountered high levels of stress. The least number of female students never faced high levels of stress. The findings can be applied by the academic stakeholders to grasp the aspects that impact the students and possible solutions to overwhelm them.

 

 

Appendix

What is your year in school?

• Freshman
• Sophomore
• Junior
• Senior

What is your major?

• Non-STEM
• STEM

How often do you experience stress?

• Always
• Often
• Sometimes
• Rarely
• Never

What level of stress do you experience on a daily basis from your workload?

• Very bad
• Mild
• Moderate
• Severe

Select which non-academic stressor do you experience?

• Financial
• Family
• Relationship (dating)
• School-work balance
• Cultural pressure

Do you believe the stress yon experience should be lower?

• Yes
• No

Do you believe that your major contributes to the levels of stress you experience?

• Yes
• No

 

 

 

References

[1] Whalen, Donald F., and Mack C. Shelley. “Academic success for STEM and non-STEM majors.” Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research 11, no. 1 Feb 2010.

[2] Britton, Dana M., Chardie L. Baird, Ruth A. Dyer, B. Jan Middendorf, Christa Smith, and Beth A. Montelone. “Surveying the campus climate for faculty: A comparison of the assessments of STEM and non-STEM faculty.” International Journal of Gender, Science and Technology 4, no. 1 pp. 102-122. Apr. 2012