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1. The Centrality of Black Identity for Black Students in Engineering

   Mobley, Catherine ; Brawner, Catherine E. ; Brent, Rebecca ; Orr, Marisa K. ( January 2021 , Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity (CoNECD) Conference)

   Introduction and Theoretical Frameworks Our study draws upon several theoretical foundations to investigate and explain the educational experiences of Black students majoring in ME, CpE, and EE: intersectionality, critical race theory, and community cultural wealth theory. Intersectionality explains how gender operates together with race, not independently, to produce multiple, overlapping forms of discrimination and social inequality (Crenshaw, 1989; Collins, 2013). Critical race theory recognizes the unique experiences of marginalized groups and strives to identify the micro- and macro-institutional sources of discrimination and prejudice (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). Community cultural wealth integrates an asset-based perspective to our analysis of engineering education to assist in the identification of factors that contribute to the success of engineering students (Yosso, 2005). These three theoretical frameworks are buttressed by our use of Racial Identity Theory, which expands understanding about the significance and meaning associated with students’ sense of group membership. Sellers and colleagues (1997) introduced the Multidimensional Model of Racial Identity (MMRI), in which they indicated that racial identity refers to the “significance and meaning that African Americans place on race in defining themselves” (p. 19). The development of this model was based on the reality that individuals vary greatly in the extent to which they attach meaning to being a member of the Black racial group. Sellers et al. (1997) posited that there are four components of racial identity: 1. Racial salience: “the extent to which one’s race is a relevant part of one’s self-concept at a particular moment or in a particular situation” (p. 24). 2. Racial centrality: “the extent to which a person normatively defines himself or herself with regard to race” (p. 25). 3. Racial regard: “a person’s affective or evaluative judgment of his or her race in terms of positive-negative valence” (p. 26). This element consists of public regard and private regard. 4. Racial ideology: “composed of the individual’s beliefs, opinions and attitudes with respect to the way he or she feels that the members of the race should act” (p. 27). The resulting 56-item inventory, the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI), provides a robust measure of Black identity that can be used across multiple contexts. Research Questions Our 3-year, mixed-method study of Black students in computer (CpE), electrical (EE) and mechanical engineering (ME) aims to identify institutional policies and practices that contribute to the retention and attrition of Black students in electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering. Our four study institutions include historically Black institutions as well as predominantly white institutions, all of which are in the top 15 nationally in the number of Black engineering graduates. We are using a transformative mixed-methods design to answer the following overarching research questions: 1. Why do Black men and women choose and persist in, or leave, EE, CpE, and ME? 2. What are the academic trajectories of Black men and women in EE, CpE, and ME? 3. In what way do these pathways vary by gender or institution? 4. What institutional policies and practices promote greater retention of Black engineering students? Methods This study of Black students in CpE, EE, and ME reports initial results from in-depth interviews at one HBCU and one PWI. We asked students about a variety of topics, including their sense of belonging on campus and in the major, experiences with discrimination, the impact of race on their experiences, and experiences with microaggressions. For this paper, we draw on two methodological approaches that allowed us to move beyond a traditional, linear approach to in-depth interviews, allowing for more diverse experiences and narratives to emerge. First, we used an identity circle to gain a better understanding of the relative importance to the participants of racial identity, as compared to other identities. The identity circle is a series of three concentric circles, surrounding an “inner core” representing one’s “core self.” Participants were asked to place various identities from a provided list that included demographic, family-related, and school-related identities on the identity circle to reflect the relative importance of the different identities to participants’ current engineering education experiences. Second, participants were asked to complete an 8-item survey which measured the “centrality” of racial identity as defined by Sellers et al. (1997). Following Enders’ (2018) reflection on the MMRI and Nigrescence Theory, we chose to use the measure of racial centrality as it is generally more stable across situations and best “describes the place race holds in the hierarchy of identities an individual possesses and answers the question ‘How important is race to me in my life?’” (p. 518). Participants completed the MIBI items at the end of the interview to allow us to learn more about the participants’ identification with their racial group, to avoid biasing their responses to the Identity Circle, and to avoid potentially creating a stereotype threat at the beginning of the interview. This paper focuses on the results of the MIBI survey and the identity circles to investigate whether these measures were correlated. Recognizing that Blackness (race) is not monolithic, we were interested in knowing the extent to which the participants considered their Black identity as central to their engineering education experiences. Combined with discussion about the identity circles, this approach allowed us to learn more about how other elements of identity may shape the participants’ educational experiences and outcomes and revealed possible differences in how participants may enact various points of their identity. Findings For this paper, we focus on the results for five HBCU students and 27 PWI students who completed the MIBI and identity circle. The overall MIBI average for HBCU students was 43 (out of a possible 56) and the overall MIBI scores ranged from 36-51; the overall MIBI average for the PWI students was 40; the overall MIBI scores for the PWI students ranged from 24-51. Twenty-one students placed race in the inner circle, indicating that race was central to their identity. Five placed race on the second, middle circle; three placed race on the third, outer circle. Three students did not place race on their identity circle. For our cross-case qualitative analysis, we will choose cases across the two institutions that represent low, medium and high MIBI scores and different ranges of centrality of race to identity, as expressed in the identity circles. Our final analysis will include descriptive quotes from these in-depth interviews to further elucidate the significance of race to the participants’ identities and engineering education experiences. The results will provide context for our larger study of a total of 60 Black students in engineering at our four study institutions. Theoretically, our study represents a new application of Racial Identity Theory and will provide a unique opportunity to apply the theories of intersectionality, critical race theory, and community cultural wealth theory. Methodologically, our findings provide insights into the utility of combining our two qualitative research tools, the MIBI centrality scale and the identity circle, to better understand the influence of race on the education experiences of Black students in engineering. 

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2. Understanding the ‘us all’ in Engineering 4 Us All through the Experiences of High School Teachers

   Berhane, B. ; Dalal, M. ; Klein-Gardner, S. ; Carberry, A. ; Reid, K. ; Beauchamp, C. ; Kouo, J. ; Pines, D. ( January 2021 , 3rd annual CoNECD – The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference)

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   As our nation’s need for engineering professionals grows, a sharp rise in P-12 engineering education programs and related research has taken place (Brophy, Klein, Portsmore, & Rogers, 2008; Purzer, Strobel, & Cardella, 2014). The associated research has focused primarily on students’ perceptions and motivations, teachers’ beliefs and knowledge, and curricula and program success. The existing research has expanded our understanding of new K-12 engineering curriculum development and teacher professional development efforts, but empirical data remain scarce on how racial and ethnic diversity of student population influences teaching methods, course content, and overall teachers’ experiences. In particular, Hynes et al. (2017) note in their systematic review of P-12 research that little attention has been paid to teachers’ experiences with respect to racially and ethnically diverse engineering classrooms. The growing attention and resources being committed to diversity and inclusion issues (Lichtenstein, Chen, Smith, & Maldonado, 2014; McKenna, Dalal, Anderson, & Ta, 2018; NRC, 2009) underscore the importance of understanding teachers’ experiences with complementary research-based recommendations for how to implement engineering curricula in racially diverse schools to engage all students. Our work examines the experiences of three high school teachers as they teach an introductory engineering course in geographically and distinctly different racially diverse schools across the nation. The study is situated in the context of a new high school level engineering education initiative called Engineering for Us All (E4USA). The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded initiative was launched in 2018 as a partnership among five universities across the nation to ‘demystify’ engineering for high school students and teachers. The program aims to create an all-inclusive high school level engineering course(s), a professional development platform, and a learning community to support student pathways to higher education institutions. An introductory engineering course was developed and professional development was provided to nine high school teachers to instruct and assess engineering learning during the first year of the project. This study investigates participating teachers’ implementation of the course in high schools across the nation to understand the extent to which their experiences vary as a function of student demographic (race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status) and resource level of the school itself. Analysis of these experiences was undertaken using a collective case-study approach (Creswell, 2013) involving in-depth analysis of a limited number of cases “to focus on fewer "subjects," but more "variables" within each subject” (Campbell & Ahrens, 1998, p. 541). This study will document distinct experiences of high school teachers as they teach the E4USA curriculum. Participants were purposively sampled for the cases in order to gather an information-rich data set (Creswell, 2013). The study focuses on three of the nine teachers participating in the first cohort to implement the E4USA curriculum. Teachers were purposefully selected because of the demographic makeup of their students. The participating teachers teach in Arizona, Maryland and Tennessee with predominantly Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian student bodies, respectively. To better understand similarities and differences among teaching experiences of these teachers, a rich data set is collected consisting of: 1) semi-structured interviews with teachers at multiple stages during the academic year, 2) reflective journal entries shared by the teachers, and 3) multiple observations of classrooms. The interview data will be analyzed with an inductive approach outlined by Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña (2014). All teachers’ interview transcripts will be coded together to identify common themes across participants. Participants’ reflections will be analyzed similarly, seeking to characterize their experiences. Observation notes will be used to triangulate the findings. Descriptions for each case will be written emphasizing the aspects that relate to the identified themes. Finally, we will look for commonalities and differences across cases. The results section will describe the cases at the individual participant level followed by a cross-case analysis. This study takes into consideration how high school teachers’ experiences could be an important tool to gain insight into engineering education problems at the P-12 level. Each case will provide insights into how student body diversity impacts teachers’ pedagogy and experiences. The cases illustrate “multiple truths” (Arghode, 2012) with regard to high school level engineering teaching and embody diversity from the perspective of high school teachers. We will highlight themes across cases in the context of frameworks that represent teacher experience conceptualizing race, ethnicity, and diversity of students. We will also present salient features from each case that connect to potential recommendations for advancing P-12 engineering education efforts. These findings will impact how diversity support is practiced at the high school level and will demonstrate specific novel curricular and pedagogical approaches in engineering education to advance P-12 mentoring efforts. 

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3. Factors that influence student mathematical dispositions

   Riling, M. ; Dietiker, L. ; Gibson, K. ; Tukhtakhunov, I. ; Ren, C. ( January 2018 , Proceedings of the 40th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   Why do secondary students in the US consistently and increasingly report a lack of interest in mathematics? Lack of interest in mathematics has been well documented in TIMSS responses; students dissatisfaction with mathematics more than doubled by 2011, when 40% of 8th graders reported not liking math, up from 18% as 4th graders in 2007. And, sadly, the trend appears to be worsening; in 2015, 47% of 8th graders indicated not liking math, up from 22% as 4th graders. In order to positively impact student attitudes towards mathematics, it is important to understand factors that may influence secondary students’ relationship with the discipline. This poster presents findings from an exploratory study of student disposition toward mathematics. We designed an online survey to learn about students’ relationship with mathematics, including experiences and settings that contribute to both positive and negative feelings about the subject. We surveyed 275 students, grades 9 to 12, in 11 classes in three schools in three New England districts. Though not randomly chosen, this sample allows us to examine student attitudes across a variety of contexts. We asked students about their feelings towards mathematics over the years, as well as which aspects of class they most enjoyed or disliked. Finally, we included items from the TRIPOD survey (Wallace et al., 2016) and the 2015 NAEP survey, which allows us to compare our sample with the national sample. Initial results indicate that student view their teachers and the topics of study as the central factors influencing their enjoyment of mathematics class. We found a correlation between responses that math is boring and that it is not relevant. Students who like math and those who do not reported different class activity preferences. For example, students who like math reported disliking watching a video in class, while students who dislike math reported disliking learning something new. Both groups of students (those who like math and those who do not) dislike math class when they have to present work to classmates, but hold positive views of solving puzzles and working with other students. Technology seems to appeal equally to both groups. Students who reported disliking math also look forward to playing competitive games. We saw no evidence that gender or race corresponded to students’ level of appreciation math. Finally, students reported liking math class less in high school than in middle school. Identifying factors that influence secondary student mathematical dispositions can inform curriculum designers seeking to improve mathematical attitudes. Future studies can learn if new curricular designs can change student relationships with mathematics to reverse recent trends. 

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4. Factors that influence student mathematical dispositions

   Riling, M. ; Dietiker, L. ; Gibson, K. ; Tukhtakhunov, I. ; Ren, C. ( January 2018 , Proceedings of the 40th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   Why do secondary students in the US consistently and increasingly report a lack of interest in mathematics? Lack of interest in mathematics has been well documented in TIMSS responses; students dissatisfaction with mathematics more than doubled by 2011, when 40% of 8th graders reported not liking math, up from 18% as 4th graders in 2007. And, sadly, the trend appears to be worsening; in 2015, 47% of 8th graders indicated not liking math, up from 22% as 4th graders. In order to positively impact student attitudes towards mathematics, it is important to understand factors that may influence secondary students’ relationship with the discipline. This poster presents findings from an exploratory study of student disposition toward mathematics. We designed an online survey to learn about students’ relationship with mathematics, including experiences and settings that contribute to both positive and negative feelings about the subject. We surveyed 275 students, grades 9 to 12, in 11 classes in three schools in three New England districts. Though not randomly chosen, this sample allows us to examine student attitudes across a variety of contexts. We asked students about their feelings towards mathematics over the years, as well as which aspects of class they most enjoyed or disliked. Finally, we included items from the TRIPOD survey (Wallace et al., 2016) and the 2015 NAEP survey, which allows us to compare our sample with the national sample. Initial results indicate that student view their teachers and the topics of study as the central factors influencing their enjoyment of mathematics class. We found a correlation between responses that math is boring and that it is not relevant. Students who like math and those who do not reported different class activity preferences. For example, students who like math reported disliking watching a video in class, while students who dislike math reported disliking learning something new. Both groups of students (those who like math and those who do not) dislike math class when they have to present work to classmates, but hold positive views of solving puzzles and working with other students. Technology seems to appeal equally to both groups. Students who reported disliking math also look forward to playing competitive games. We saw no evidence that gender or race corresponded to students’ level of appreciation math. Finally, students reported liking math class less in high school than in middle school. Identifying factors that influence secondary student mathematical dispositions can inform curriculum designers seeking to improve mathematical attitudes. Future studies can learn if new curricular designs can change student relationships with mathematics to reverse recent trends. 

   more » « less
5. Factors that influence student mathematical dispositions

   Riling, M. ; Dietiker, L. ; Gibson, K. ; Tukhtakhunov, I. ; Ren, C. ( January 2018 , Proceedings of the 40th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   Why do secondary students in the US consistently and increasingly report a lack of interest in mathematics? Lack of interest in mathematics has been well documented in TIMSS responses; students dissatisfaction with mathematics more than doubled by 2011, when 40% of 8th graders reported not liking math, up from 18% as 4th graders in 2007. And, sadly, the trend appears to be worsening; in 2015, 47% of 8th graders indicated not liking math, up from 22% as 4th graders. In order to positively impact student attitudes towards mathematics, it is important to understand factors that may influence secondary students’ relationship with the discipline. This poster presents findings from an exploratory study of student disposition toward mathematics. We designed an online survey to learn about students’ relationship with mathematics, including experiences and settings that contribute to both positive and negative feelings about the subject. We surveyed 275 students, grades 9 to 12, in 11 classes in three schools in three New England districts. Though not randomly chosen, this sample allows us to examine student attitudes across a variety of contexts. We asked students about their feelings towards mathematics over the years, as well as which aspects of class they most enjoyed or disliked. Finally, we included items from the TRIPOD survey (Wallace et al., 2016) and the 2015 NAEP survey, which allows us to compare our sample with the national sample. Initial results indicate that student view their teachers and the topics of study as the central factors influencing their enjoyment of mathematics class. We found a correlation between responses that math is boring and that it is not relevant. Students who like math and those who do not reported different class activity preferences. For example, students who like math reported disliking watching a video in class, while students who dislike math reported disliking learning something new. Both groups of students (those who like math and those who do not) dislike math class when they have to present work to classmates, but hold positive views of solving puzzles and working with other students. Technology seems to appeal equally to both groups. Students who reported disliking math also look forward to playing competitive games. We saw no evidence that gender or race corresponded to students’ level of appreciation math. Finally, students reported liking math class less in high school than in middle school. Identifying factors that influence secondary student mathematical dispositions can inform curriculum designers seeking to improve mathematical attitudes. Future studies can learn if new curricular designs can change student relationships with mathematics to reverse recent trends. 

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