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1. Understanding anchors associated with secondary school students' engineering design experiences

   Dalal, M.; Carberry, A. (January 2021, Clive L. Dym Mudd Design Workshop XII)

   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. 

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2. Understanding high school student experiences in an engineering course designed for all

   Figard, R. (June 2022, American Society for Engineering Education Conference & Exposition)

   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. 

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3. Board 214: Building an Understanding of Black Families’ Engineering, Design, and Inventive Practices

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--46782  

   Ejichukwu, Emmanuella; Tolbert_Smith, DeLean; Matar, Hanadi (June 2024, ASEE Conferences)

   Black students belong in STEM career pathways but often experience a diminished sense of belonging in their college programs. Through informal conversations, the authors learned that some Black students felt they had not had the formal pre-college engineering training and extracurricular experiences that they perceived their peers had and therefore they did not feel they possessed engineering knowledge. There is little research that identifies the diverse engineering family practices of Black families and further finds ways to connect these practices to formal higher education learning environments. Acknowledging the rich history of Black engineering, design, and invention that occurs in Black households and communities, the authors explore the following question: In what ways can engineering practices emerge as Black families engage in design challenges? This study is informed by asset-based frameworks and a systems theory of learning to center the role of the Black family in learning how to engage in and value engineering, design, and inventive practices. To date, 15 Families have participated in activities that were modified from the Invention Convention Curriculum. Their design sessions were video recorded and were analyzed using Python and qualitative methods. This work-in-progress manuscript will focus on identifying the engineering practices of one family who participated in a set of family engineering design activities. The authors will share insights from the family narrative (synthesis of all the data generated from the family’s participation) and results of how the family enacted specific engineering practices. Also, the authors will share a preliminary reflection on how these practices might serve as a vehicle to positively impact the sense of belonging of Black engineering students. 

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4. Developing two-year college student engineering technology career profiles

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--36945  

   Frady, K.; Brown, C.; High, K.; Hughes, C.; O’Hara, R.; & Huang, S. (July 2021, Annual American Society for Engineering Education Conference)

   There is little research or understanding of curricular differences between two- and four-year programs, career development of engineering technology (ET) students, and professional preparation for ET early career professionals [1]. Yet, ET credentials (including certificates, two-, and four-year degrees) represent over half of all engineering credentials awarded in the U.S [2]. ET professionals are important hands-on members of engineering teams who have specialized knowledge of components and engineering systems. This research study focuses on how career orientations affect engineering formation of ET students educated at two-year colleges. The theoretical framework guiding this study is Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). SCCT is a theory which situates attitudes, interests, and experiences and links self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and personal goals to educational and career decisions and outcomes [3]. Student knowledge of attitudes toward and motivation to pursue STEM and engineering education can impact academic performance and indicate future career interest and participation in the STEM workforce [4]. This knowledge may be measured through career orientations or career anchors. A career anchor is a combination of self-concept characteristics which includes talents, skills, abilities, motives, needs, attitudes, and values. Career anchors can develop over time and aid in shaping personal and career identity [6]. The purpose of this quantitative research study is to identify dimensions of career orientations and anchors at various educational stages to map to ET career pathways. The research question this study aims to answer is: For students educated in two-year college ET programs, how do the different dimensions of career orientations, at various phases of professional preparation, impact experiences and development of professional profiles and pathways? The participants (n=308) in this study represent three different groups: (1) students in engineering technology related programs from a medium rural-serving technical college (n=136), (2) students in engineering technology related programs from a large urban-serving technical college (n=52), and (3) engineering students at a medium Research 1 university who have transferred from a two-year college (n=120). All participants completed Schein’s Career Anchor Inventory [5]. This instrument contains 40 six-point Likert-scale items with eight subscales which correlate to the eight different career anchors. Additional demographic questions were also included. The data analysis includes graphical displays for data visualization and exploration, descriptive statistics for summarizing trends in the sample data, and then inferential statistics for determining statistical significance. This analysis examines career anchor results across groups by institution, major, demographics, types of educational experiences, types of work experiences, and career influences. This cross-group analysis aids in the development of profiles of values, talents, abilities, and motives to support customized career development tailored specifically for ET students. These findings contribute research to a gap in ET and two-year college engineering education research. Practical implications include use of findings to create career pathways mapped to career anchors, integration of career development tools into two-year college curricula and programs, greater support for career counselors, and creation of alternate and more diverse pathways into engineering. Words: 489 References [1] National Academy of Engineering. (2016). Engineering technology education in the United States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. [2] The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, (IPEDS). (2014). Data on engineering technology degrees. [3] Lent, R.W., & Brown, S.B. (1996). Social cognitive approach to career development: An overivew. Career Development Quarterly, 44, 310-321. [4] Unfried, A., Faber, M., Stanhope, D.S., Wiebe, E. (2015). The development and validation of a measure of student attitudes toward science, technology, engineeirng, and math (S-STEM). Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 33(7), 622-639. [5] Schein, E. (1996). Career anchors revisited: Implications for career development in the 21st century. Academy of Management Executive, 10(4), 80-88. [6] Schein, E.H., & Van Maanen, J. (2013). Career Anchors, 4th ed. San Francisco: Wiley. 

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5. Enabling factors and barriers for adopting engineering curricula in high schools: School, district, and state administrator perspectives

   Dalal, M.; Carberry, A. (July 2021, 2021 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition)

   null (Ed.)

   Pre-college engineering education has been on a sharp rise in the United States. Numerous schools offer some variation of an engineering curricula, but challenges remain regarding socio-cultural perceptions of engineering, teacher training, curricular alignment with state standards, and policy decisions. Many past studies have examined students’ and teachers’ knowledge, perceptions, and beliefs regarding pre-college engineering instruction. Few studies have investigated the viewpoints of school administrators, or state and district personnel. This qualitative study investigated perspectives of three such administrators in a southwest US public high school. The school was one of nine pilot locations offering a new engineering course designed to ‘demystify’ engineering for high school students and teachers from all walks of life. Results converged around four major themes: 1) relevance and current state of pre-college engineering education, 2) teacher certification and professional development, 3) industry connections, and 4) expectations of pre-college engineering curricula. The resulting themes shed light on long standing issues affecting adoption of engineering at the pre-college level and highlight a few areas that upcoming pre-college engineering education programs could focus on. 

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