CHANGING A COLLEGE MAJOR: A COMPARISON OF STUDENT AND FACULTY VIEWS

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Participants were college students and faculty members from a large public university in Tennessee. Each group completed a self-report measure and demographic questions. Each measure was comprised of a question or scenario pertaining to changing an academic major. Results showed that student and faculty views were similar regarding changing an academic major due to a change in career goals. However, student and faculty views were dissimilar when it pertains to changing an academic major recommended by others. Results also showed that student and faculty views are similar regarding the amount of effort exerted by students. Conversely, student and faculty views were dissimilar when rating measures regarding, GPA, grades, and teachers as curricular reasons to change an academic major. Implications for future research include examining the role that required effort of students plays in their decisions to change academic majors.