TY - GEN
T1 - First in the family
T2 - 2015 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE 2015
AU - Verdin, Dina
AU - Godwin, Allison
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 IEEE.
PY - 2015/12/2
Y1 - 2015/12/2
N2 - This study investigates first-generation and non-first-generation engineering undergraduates' math/science identities, subject-related interests, and career plans. First-generation students are an understudied, but growing population. Understanding how these self-beliefs and background factors affect students' engineering choice can help widen pathways into engineering which continues to be defined as 'pale and male.' Additionally, identity has predictive value for practical outcomes like engineering choice in college. The data for this study comes from the nationally representative Sustainability and Gender in Engineering (SaGE) survey completed by 6,772 college students who enrolled in first-year English courses at 2- and 4-year colleges across the U.S. Data were analyzed using t-test and chi-square tests for linear and dichotomous outcomes respectively. Our results show differences in first-generation students' identities, interests, performance/ competence beliefs, and family support for science. These differences can serve as a stepping stone towards understanding the trajectories of first-generation college students in engineering. By understanding underrepresented students' identities, performance, and backgrounds, specific strategies can be developed to support these students in our engineering programs.
AB - This study investigates first-generation and non-first-generation engineering undergraduates' math/science identities, subject-related interests, and career plans. First-generation students are an understudied, but growing population. Understanding how these self-beliefs and background factors affect students' engineering choice can help widen pathways into engineering which continues to be defined as 'pale and male.' Additionally, identity has predictive value for practical outcomes like engineering choice in college. The data for this study comes from the nationally representative Sustainability and Gender in Engineering (SaGE) survey completed by 6,772 college students who enrolled in first-year English courses at 2- and 4-year colleges across the U.S. Data were analyzed using t-test and chi-square tests for linear and dichotomous outcomes respectively. Our results show differences in first-generation students' identities, interests, performance/ competence beliefs, and family support for science. These differences can serve as a stepping stone towards understanding the trajectories of first-generation college students in engineering. By understanding underrepresented students' identities, performance, and backgrounds, specific strategies can be developed to support these students in our engineering programs.
KW - career plans
KW - family support
KW - first-generation college student
KW - identity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84960332747&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84960332747&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/FIE.2015.7344359
DO - 10.1109/FIE.2015.7344359
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84960332747
T3 - Proceedings - Frontiers in Education Conference, FIE
BT - 2015 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Y2 - 21 October 2015 through 24 October 2015
ER -