Very little research has been undertaken to better understand the experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) students in engineering. This paper aims to provide quantitative perspectives from this underrepresented and largely ignored population when participating in a pre-college engineering course. Pre and post-surveys were given to all e4usa students during the 2021-2022 school year. Surveys aimed to capture pre-college engineering student perspectives of the e4usa course. Data were analyzed using t-tests, and multi-linear regression. Results from the t-tests found that the relatively small sample of TGNC students (n = 9) reported lower levels of interest in engineering and intentions to pursue engineering after taking this course relative to their peers. A deeper understanding of TGNC student experiences in the e4usa course will help to improve the course, while also exposing the policies and practices in the field of engineering that continue to marginalize these students.
more »
« less
Understanding high school student experiences in an engineering course designed for all
Pre-college engineering education still struggles to implement curricula that engage a diverse range of students. Engineering for US All (e4usa) aims to fill this gap through a course that demystifies engineering while catering to a broad range of students. This paper examines the influence of the e4usa course on students’ engagement with engineering design, and their understanding of engineering as a potential future educational and career pathway. Focus group sessions were conducted with students from 12 participating schools during the 2020-21 school year to examine how their interests and understanding of engineering were influenced by the course. There were four main question categories for the focus groups, including: (1) students’ perceptions of engineering, (2) engagement in the e4usa course, (3) influences of the e4usa course, and (4) experiences as a female in engineering. Focus group data were analyzed using open coding and constant comparison methods. Themes emerged from each of the main question categories, giving insight into students’ experiences in the e4usa course. Understanding student experiences in the e4usa course has the potential to impact the future design of pre-college engineering experiences that can lead to a more diverse engineering workforce.
more »
« less
- PAR ID:
- 10345719
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- American Society for Engineering Education Conference & Exposition
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
null (Ed.)Many students do not truly encounter engineering education during their school years despite numerous calls to increase focus on engineering-centric knowledge and skills in pre-college education. This study uses a Social Cognitive Career Theory framing to examine the nuanced experiences of pre-college students who learned the engineering design process through multiple, progressively complex project experiences in an introductory engineering course designed for all. Data was collected from 80 students within eight schools across the United States using multiple focus group sessions. Iterative thematic analysis revealed four themes that collectively depict how design experiences provide an anchor for engineering pathways. The study provides insights into the complex interplay of learning activities and wider educational contexts that influence students’ higher education and career choices. Understanding the anchors associated with students’ design experiences has the potential to impact future motivation and design of pre-college engineering experiences that can lead to improved student recruitment and retention in higher education.more » « less
-
Many students do not truly encounter engineering education during their school years despite numerous calls to increase focus on engineering-centric knowledge and skills in pre-college education. This study uses a Social Cognitive Career Theory framing to examine the nuanced experiences of pre-college students who learned the engineering design process through multiple, progressively complex project experiences in an introductory engineering course designed for all. Data was collected from 80 students within eight schools across the United States using multiple focus groups. Iterative thematic analysis revealed four themes that collectively depict how design experiences provide an anchor or a comprehensive knowledge base for engineering pathways. The study provides insights into the complex interplay of learning activities and wider educational contexts that influence students’ higher education and career choices. Under-standing the anchors associated with students’ design experiences has the potential to impact future motivation and design of pre-college engineering experiences that can lead to improved student recruitment and retention in higher educationmore » « less
-
This Innovative Practice Work-in-Progress paper aims to capture a unique attempt to break down silos between two pre-college STEM initiatives. A myriad of programs has emerged to provide pre-college students with engineering or robotics experiences. Such initiatives are typically undertaken independent of one another. Engineering For Us All (e4usa) and For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) are two such programs designed to excite youth about STEM careers, specifically engineering. One provides a classroom experience, while the other is primarily extracurricular, affording informal learning experiences. The parallel missions of these two programs provided the impetus for a new partnership, e4usa+FIRST, to leverage the collective strengths of each program and expand engineering access to underserved schools. A workshop was conducted that brought together a variety of stakeholders to explore numerous approaches of blending the two programs. This paper details the design of the workshop and the five emergent blending models. The results advance an argument for the involvement of all stakeholders to create an ecosystem at the pre-college level to broaden participation in engineering education. The study has the potential to impact future motivation and design of pre-college STEM education and outreach programs.more » « less
-
The Bureau of Statistics identified an urgent demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals in the coming years. In order to meet this demand, the number of students graduating with STEM degrees in the United States needs to increase by 34% annually [1]. Engineering for US All (E4USA): A National Pilot Program for High School Engineering Course and Database is a NSF-funded first-of-its-kind initiative designed to address this national need. The E4USA project aims to make engineering more inclusive and accessible to underrepresented minorities, while increasing racial, ethnic, and gender representation in higher education and the workforce. The “for us all” mission of E4USA encompasses both students and educators. The demand for engineering educators has increased, but relying on practicing engineers to switch careers and enter teacher preparation programs has been insufficient [2, 3, 4]. This has led schools to turn to educators with limited training in engineering, which could potentially have a significant national impact on student engineering education [5, 6, 7]. Part of the E4USA pilot year mission has been to welcome educators with varying degrees of experience in industry and teaching. Paramount to E4USA was the construction of professional development (PD) experiences and a community of practice that would prepare and support teachers with varying degrees of engineering training instruction as they implemented the yearlong course. The perspectives of four out of nine educators were examined during a weeklong, intensive E4USA PD. Two of four educators were considered ‘novices’; one with a background in music and the other in history. The remaining two educators were deemed ‘veterans’ with a total of 15 years of experience as engineers and more than 20 years as engineering educators. Data sources consist of focus groups, surveys, and artifacts created during the PD (e.g., educators’ responses to reflection prompts and letters written to welcome the next cohort). Focus group data is currently being analyzed using inductive coding and the constant comparative method in order to identify emergent themes that speak to the past experience or inexperience of educators with engineering. Artifacts were used to: 1) Triangulate the findings generated from the analysis of focus group, and 2) Further understand how the veteran educators supported the novice educators. We will also use quantitative survey data to examine descriptive statistics, observed score bivariate correlations, and differences in mean scores across novices and veterans to further examine potential common and unique experiences for these educators. The results aim to highlight how the inclusion of educators with a broad spectrum of past experiences with engineering and engineering education can increase educators’ empathy towards students who may be equally hesitant about engineering. The findings from this study are expected to result in implications for how PD and a community of practice may be developed to allow for reciprocal support and mentoring. Results will inform future efforts of E4USA and aim to change the structure of high school engineering education nationwide.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- The DOI is not currently available.
