The data, covering 78,000 students at 119 institutions in 2012, showed that 24 % of STEM majors switched their major to a non-STEM
field by the end of their
freshman year, but 27 % of non-STEM majors switched to STEM
fields during the same period.
Mentored
field experiences begin with a one - day - a-week school placement in
freshman year, include pre-practicum experiences in schools, and culminate with full - time student teaching in a social studies classroom
during senior
year, affording preservice teachers the opportunity to design and implement inquiry - based, content - rich units of study, and to assess students» learning.