STEM attrition is an issue of concern that impacts the economy of the United States. According to the Trump administration (2018), investing in STEM education is essential for the workforce of the future. Community colleges play a key role in addressing STEM's workforce needs. This research examines the application of the learning theories of elaboration theory, situated learning theory, and action learning theory to address the academic barriers that impact STEM's retention and completion rates in community colleges. Academic barriers for STEM course learning include: lack of academic preparation in STEM courses, lack of motivation and student engagement in STEM courses, intensity of course taking in the first academic year, and lack of confidence in STEM skills. Through the critical interpretive synthesis methodology, the literature was analyzed and synthesized. The interpretation of the findings led to the creation of an intervention strategy that can be used by community college leadership to support STEM student success. In order to ameliorate STEM attrition rates, leadership should use a combination of methods to improve the classroom environment. Some of these methods include: revamping classroom instruction tools, utilizing technology to teach competencies of STEM courses, providing authentic hands-on learning experience, and creating changes that are feasible and are relevant to address the needs of the students. Community college leadership should create a comprehensive intervention plan that can target different areas of classroom instruction and environment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]