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1. First‐generation college students' funds of knowledge support the development of an engineering role identity

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20591  

   Verdín, Dina ; Smith, Jessica M. ; Lucena, Juan C. ( March 2024 , Journal of Engineering Education)

   Identifying as an engineer is essential for belonging and student success, yet the social context and professional norms make it more difficult for some students to establish an identity as an engineer.

   This study investigated whether first‐generation college students' funds of knowledge supported their engineering role identity.

   Data came from a survey administered across the United States western, southern, and mountain regions in the fall semester of 2018. Only the sample of students who indicated they were the first in their families to attend college was used in the analysis (n = 378). Structural equation modeling was used to understand how first‐generation college students' funds of knowledge supported their engineering role identity; measurement invariance was examined to ensure that the model was valid for women and men alike.

   First‐generation college students' funds of knowledge individually supported the components of the engineering role identity development process. Tinkering knowledge from home and perspective‐taking helped inform interest and performance/competence beliefs. First‐generation college students' bids for external recognition were supported through their mediational skills, their connecting experiences, and their local network of college friends. The bundle of advice, resources, and emotional support from family members was the only fund of knowledge that directly supported students' perceptions of themselves as engineers.

   The relationships we established between first‐generation college students' funds of knowledge and emerging engineering role identities call for engineering educators to integrate students' funds of knowledge into engineering learning and to broaden disciplinary norms of what counts as engineering‐relevant knowledge.

    

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2. Children's history of suicidal ideation and synchrony of facial displays of affect during mother–child interactions

   https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13231  

   James, Kiera M. ; Kudinova, Anastacia Y. ; Woody, Mary L. ; Feurer, Cope ; Foster, Claire E. ; Gibb, Brandon E. ( March 2020 , Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry)

   Suicidal thoughts and behavior can begin early in childhood and are a leading cause of death in youth. Although specific mechanisms of risk remain largely unknown, theorists and researchers highlight the importance of the parent–child relationship. The current study focused on one aspect of this relationship: the dynamic exchange of facial affect during interactions. Specifically, we examined the relation between children's history of suicidal ideation (SI) and synchrony of facial expressions during positive and negative mother–child interactions.

   Participants were 353 mother–child dyads. Of these, 44 dyads included a child with an SI history. Dyads engaged in positive and negative discussions during which their facial electromyography was recorded from mothers and children to index second‐to‐second changes in positive (zygomaticus) and negative (corrugator) facial affect.

   Child SI dyads were characterized specifically by reduced synchrony of positive facial affect during the positive discussion compared to dyads without child SI.

   These findings suggest child SI dyads exhibit reduced synchrony of normative positive expressions during mother–child interactions. If replicated and extended in longitudinal research, these results may help to explain one mechanism of risk among children with SI.

    

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3. Children’s identity conception in engineering activities in the home environment.

   Werfelli, S. ; Simpson, A. ; Knox, P. N. ; Paul, K. ; Maltese, A. V. ( January 2023 , American Society for Engineering Education)

   The purpose of this study was to examine identity formation in young learners through engineering education. This was sought by means of understanding children’s perception of their identity as an engineer after engaging in engineering design processes and practices in their home environments. The methodology for data collection was through post-program participation interviews with children. The interviews were conducted with thirteen children between the ages of five and ten, who completed at least four researcher-developed engineering tasks in their home environments with a member of their family, typically a caregiver. The time engaged in each kit ranged from approximately 30 minutes to 3 hours. The interview questions revolved around how these children viewed engineers, and engineering, as well as how they viewed themselves and how the program changed their views and interests. The results suggest that participation in an engineering program in home environments has changed these children’s sense of identity in a variety of ways; how they viewed their ability to carry out engineering activities, their potential career trajectories, how they viewed engineering as a field, and how the program affected their interactions with their family. The significance of this study points to the benefits of introducing engineering tasks with children at a young age. 

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4. Learning from the experiences of Navajo engineers: Looking toward the development of a culturally responsive engineering curriculum

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20287  

   Jordan, Shawn S. ; Foster, Chrissy H. ; Anderson, Ieshya K. ; Betoney, Courtney A. ; Pangan, Tyrine Jamella D. ( September 2019 , Journal of Engineering Education)

   Diverse perspectives, including those of Native Americans, are needed to drive innovation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Tribes such as the Navajo Nation are seeking to strengthen their communities, create economic opportunities, and improve the lives of their peoples by encouraging members of their tribe to become engineers. Research investigating how Navajo engineers experience and understand engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community can provide insight into how to engage Navajo students in pathways to careers in STEM.

   The purpose of the study was to identify and investigate the ways in which Navajo engineers experience, understand, and apply engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community.

   A phenomenographic approach was used to explore the ways that Navajo engineers experience and understand the phenomena of engineering design and practice in the context of their culture and community. A total of 20 Navajo engineers were interviewed for this study.

   Four qualitatively distinct lenses on how Navajo engineers experience and understand engineering design and practice embedded in the culture of the Navajo community were identified as (a) Navajo‐centered behavior, (b) Navajo‐centered purpose, (c) Navajo‐centered strategy, and (d) Navajo‐centered application.

   The results of the study provide a deeper understanding of how Navajo engineers experience similarities and differences between Navajo culture and engineering design and practice, and provide a foundation for the development of culturally responsive engineering design curricula for classrooms in the Navajo Nation.

    

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5. Identity‐ based motivation: Connections between first‐year students' engineering role identities and future‐time perspectives

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20324  

   Godwin, Allison ; Kirn, Adam ( May 2020 , Journal of Engineering Education)

   Research in engineering education has highlighted the importance of identity and motivation for a number of student outcomes, including persistence. However, these constructs have often been studied separately, despite theorized and demonstrated connections between students' identity and motivation in other fields.

   Our study fills this gap by investigating the connections between identity and motivation. We specifically examined the connections between students' engineering role identity and future‐time perspective (FTP; a theory of human motivation) theories to understand students' interest in choosing an engineering major after their first year, which we call continuing engineering major interest.

   The data came from a questionnaire distributed during Fall 2015 (n = 2,879). Structural equation modeling was used to understand the connections between the latent factors of engineering role identity and FTP. We also examined the predictive validity of this model on students' continuing engineering major interest.

   Our results show connections between students' engineering role identity and the domain‐specific constructs of FTP. Identity was fully mediated by students' FTPs, and these perspectives were important for predicting continuing major interest. Engineering role identity measures explained a combined 69% of the variance in the FTP measures, and engineering role identity and FTP measures together explained 14.2% of the variance in engineering major interest.

   These findings provide empirical evidence for linking identity and motivation in studies of engineering students' career pathways. The results of this work inform how theories of identity and motivation can be used collectively in engineering education research.

    

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