The National Science Board has declared that the long-term vitality of the U.S.
workforce relies on the full range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
career pathways being available to all Americans. This declaration was premised on the
increasing diversity in the U.S. population [1] and the need for multiple perspectives on the
complex problems faced by society [2]. Thus, the National Science Foundation, the National
Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, the American Institutes of Research, and
the Council of Graduate Schools have stated that the increased participation of women and
members of racially minoritized and marginalized (RMM, including Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and
Indigenous) groups in STEM is imperative to maintain the U.S. standing as a global leader in
innovation. Because engineering doctoral graduates account for a large share of the innovation
workforce [3], the ongoing lack of diversity in the engineering doctoral workforce remains a
problem with far-reaching implications for the U.S. economy.
The ‘mold’ for an engineering doctoral student was created by graduate education's
earliest beneficiaries: young, White, and single men. Students who fall outside this mold,
including women, people of color, older people, people with children, and people with
disabilities are more likely than their traditional graduate student counterparts to report climate-related
issues [4]. While some studies of university or campus-level climate for students have
included doctoral students in general, few studies disaggregate findings by discipline or by
demographic categories beyond gender identity and race/ethnicity. In engineering, Riley, Slaton,
and Pawley’s [5] observed that the engineering education research community tends to take up
issues of diversity focused on “women and [racial and ethnic] minorities while queerness, class,
nationality, disability, age, and other forms of difference are, for the most part, not seen as
requiring address”.
This literature review was conducted as a preliminary assessment of the available
research literature produced by the engineering education community on organizational climate
affecting the retention of engineering doctoral students from diverse backgrounds. We seek to
understand this specific student group’s retention as an organizational climate issue and use an
intersectional approach to consider the meaning and relevance of students’ belonging,
simultaneously to multiple social categories, such as gender identity, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic background, race/ethnicity, and disability status within the context of
engineering doctoral education as a first step to building a climate survey instrument. Searches
on February 2, 2023, for existing scoping reviews and systematic reviews on this topic
conducted on JBI Evidence Synthesis, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the
Campbell Collaboration did not provide results [6].
The objective of this literature review is to explore how the concept of ‘climate’ is being
used in the context of doctoral engineering student retention to degree completion and gather a
body of evidence of climate factors. To do this, we conducted a targeted literature review and
used intersectionality [7] [8] as our approach to interpreting the literature, as we aim to
understand how climate affects the retention of engineering doctoral students from diverse
backgrounds. In this paper, we first briefly present our understanding of organizational climate
and intersectionality, then we explain our methodology, followed by results and finally discuss
our analysis of the climate literature in engineering.
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Engineering doctoral student retention and persistence from an organizational climate and intersectional perspective: A targeted review of engineering education literature
This literature review was conducted as a preliminary assessment of the available research literature produced by the engineering education community on climate affecting the retention of engineering doctoral students from diverse backgrounds. We seek to understand this specific student group’s retention in context of organizational science--specifically as an organizational climate issue--- and use an intersectional approach to consider the meaning and relevance of students’ belonging, simultaneously, to multiple social categories such as gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, race/ethnicity, and disability status. We review the literature on engineering doctoral students produced by the engineering education community as a first step to building a climate survey instrument. The objective of this literature review is to explore how the concept of ‘climate’ is being used in context of doctoral engineering student retention to degree completion, and we gather a body of evidence of climate factors. To do this, we conducted a targeted literature review and used organizational climate and intersectionality as our approach to interpreting the literature, as we aim to understand how climate affects the retention of engineering doctoral students from diverse backgrounds. In this paper, we first briefly present our understanding of climate as grounded in organizational science and intersectional theory. We then explain our methodology and finally discuss our analysis of the doctoral engineering student literature in engineering.
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- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10515075
- Publisher / Repository:
- ASEE Conferences
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Baltimore , Maryland
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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The purpose of this research full paper is to investigate issues facing very early-stage master’s students as they transition into a degree program at a large research-intensive university. While there is an increasing focus on graduate and doctoral engineering education, few studies have sought to focus specifically on master’s students, treating them from a research perspective as miniature doctoral students, though it is documented that MS students in engineering have different goals and motivations for pursuing graduate study than PhD students, as well as different anticipated career trajectories. To further compound these gaps in the literature, most studies assume that doctoral students in engineering come from historically privileged socioeconomic backgrounds. National conversations are clear that to broaden participation in engineering, the educational community must attend to the specific needs of students from low-income backgrounds. These students may also not have access to the social and cultural capital required to navigate graduate school, since many are first-generation graduate students and because systems of education are traditionally designed for students from upper class backgrounds. To this end, this study explores the experiences of first-semester graduate students supported in part by funding aimed to support master’s students and have demonstrated unmet financial need. Interviews were conducted with six first- and second year master’s students and analyzed using thematic analysis methods employing Posselt’s Framework for Doctoral Student Support—here, extended to master’s students—to elicit information about surprises, expectations, and unanticipated issues facing this special population of students. Findings indicate that there are several easily implemented structural modifications programs and faculty can take that can facilitate the transition to graduate school for graduate students, low-income and otherwise.more » « less
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Several studies have shown that underrepresented minorities (URM) (African Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Latinos) are more likely to drop out of engineering doctorate programs before graduation compared to international and majority students. In addition, transitioning into the doctoral programs without having a good understanding of what it entails can make the PhD experience difficult. To address this issue, a team of researchers from four US universities developed a project called “the Rising Doctoral Institute (RDI)’’. One of the research goals of this project is to better understand how factors in the academic system interact dynamically to influence (i.e., support or hinder) incoming URM students’ access, success, persistence, and retention in engineering doctoral programs. To accomplish this goal, we will use a comprehensive analysis approach known as System Dynamic Model (SDM). This work-In-Progress article represents the starting point to develop this model and its overall goal is to conduct a systematic literature review to identify the factors in the academic system that impact URM students’ experience in doctoral engineering programs. We followed a process suggested by Okoli and Schabram [1] which consists of four major steps. The first step is presenting the purpose of the literature review, protocol, and training. The second step consists of selecting the literature and practical screen. The next step is the quality appraisal and data extraction. Finally, the analysis of findings and writing the review. By identifying the factors and the relation between them, we could help ensure a more diverse and equitable STEM education. Although some external factors can affect students’ access, success, persistence and retention in engineering PhD programs, this study is limited to exploring the factors and interactions within the academic system that can potentially impact the successful experience of underrepresented minorities in PhD programs in engineering such as Advisor-Advisee Relationship, Student’s Experience, Academic Support and Faculty-Students Interactionmore » « less
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The purpose of this critical literature review was to generate awareness of the LGBTQIA+ engineering student experience and research on this community, while also highlighting areas that are lacking or receiving insufficient attention. This work is part of a larger project that aims to review engineering education research with respect to LGBTQIA+ students, higher education faculty and staff, and industry professionals. This literature review was conducted in two phases. First, works from non-engineering disciplines were reviewed to identify popular threads and major areas of research on the LGBTQIA+ student experience. This phase was not an exhaustive review; rather, it was meant to establish specific themes of importance derived from the larger body of literature on the LGBTQIA+ student experience. Second, a literature review identified how engineering-specific research on the LGBTQIA+ student experience aligned with these themes. We identified several themes in the first phase of the literature review: (1) Climate, (2) LGB Monolith, (3) Intersectionality, and (4) Identity Development. Engineering and engineering education literature demonstrated similar themes, although this body of work was unique in the exploration of LGBTQIA+ coping strategies and the use of the technical/social dualism framework. Overall, the engineering education literature on LGBTQIA+ student experiences seemed relatively underdeveloped.more » « less
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Abstract Background, context, and purpose of the study Enrolling over 60% of all Latinx undergraduate students, Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) are poised to play a critical role in diversifying and strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and the STEM workforce. However, how HSIs serve STEM students is not well understood. Accordingly, guided by Garcia et al. (Review of Educational Research 89:5–745, 2019) multidimensional servingness framework, we conducted a systematic review of the research on STEM education within the HSI context. By attending to STEM education in conversations around how HSIs may serve Latinx students and their campus communities, our ultimate aim is to improve STEM education particularly at HSIs and advance STEM servingness more broadly.
Results, main findings Through our systematic review of STEM education research at HSIs, we identified (under)studied components of servingness and gaps within this literature base. Specifically, among the 128 qualifying articles, nearly two-thirds focused on student outcomes but overlooked institutions’ organizational context, raising questions about the effect(iveness) of the studied interventions. Additionally, we identified three thematic gaps in this literature: ghosting the HSI context (i.e., relying on HSIs as research sites without considering the unique HSI context); ghosting Latinx culture (i.e., decentering Latinx students and the Latinx community’s sociocultural aspects and assets), and ghosting people and places (i.e., under-examining certain student populations like Latino men in STEM and places like Hispanic-serving community colleges). Ultimately, our study extends the field’s understanding of servingness by attending to STEM education within the context of HSI institutions.
Conclusions, brief summary, and potential implications By systematically reviewing studies on STEM education at HSIs, we identified (under)studied components of servingness and patterned gaps within this literature. In doing so, we highlight opportunities to advance STEM servingness at HSIs through future research, policy, and practice. Collectively, these avenues hold the promise of improving STEM education and diversifying the STEM workforce.
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--43326
