“It Just Makes It Feel Like You’re Not Alone”: A Qualitative Study of a Social Support Group for High-Achieving, Low-Income STEM Majors

The higher education community continues to pursue solutions to the alarming number of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) undergraduates leaving their degree programs. This qualitative study investigated the experiences of 12 STEM scholarship recipients in a near-peer-mentored social support group at a large Midwestern university. The goal of this study was to investigate the scholars’ challenges and supports prior to and while participating in a weekly peer group through the lens of the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory model. This case study triangulated the experiences of the peer group participants using pre-group individual interviews, peer leader reflections, and a focus group. The pre-group interviews revealed that the participants experienced challenges associated with the rigor of their courses, self-imposed pressure, and unsupportive relationships. Supports for their persistence prior to the peer group included their internal drive to achieve their goals and supportive relationships, particularly with family. The focus group revealed that the peer group provided a non-academic space to connect with peers, facilitated sense of belonging, and normalized their struggle as STEM majors, broadening their perception of science identity. Paradoxically, although participants highlighted personal disclosure as key to promoting social support, they indicated their greatest challenge in the peer group was discomfort with sharing.