Switching majors in college. When female undergraduates switch from science, mathematics, and engineering (SME) majors into disciplines that are not based on science, are their reasons different from those of their male counterparts? This question was investigated in Science Education (July 1995). A sample of 335 junior/senior undergraduates—172 females and 163 males—at two large research universities were identified as “switchers”; that is, they left a declared SME major for a non-SME major. Each student listed one or more factors that contributed to the switching decision.
a. Of the 172 females in the sample, 74 listed lack or loss of interest in SME (i.e., they were “turned off” by science) as a major factor, compared with 72 of the 163 males. Conduct a test (at α = .10 ) to determine whether the proportion of female switchers who give “lack of interest in SME” as a major reason for switching differs from the corresponding proportion of males.
b. Thirty-three of the 172 females in the sample indicated that they because discouraged or lost confidence because of low grades in SME during their early years, compared with 44 of 163 males. Construct a 90% confidence interval for the difference between the proportions of female and male switchers who lost confidence due to low grades in SME. Interpret the result.
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