GSE/RES: Collaborative Research: Potential Recruits in Engineering: A Longitudinal Study of Diverse Academically-able Young Women's Views of Engineering as a Career

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The proposed research is an original investigation of how academically-able young women, who might be recruits to engineering, learn about the engineering profession. The collaborative three-year study, using participatory action methodology, qualitative methods, and quantitative measures, will "seed" the women's explorations of engineering as a career and then examine how racially, socio-economically, and geographically diverse young high school women come to know the profession of engineering. It aims to analyze the young women's career exploration journey, the influences that shape their sense of the profession, and their views and feelings about their career options in engineering at the conclusion of the exploration experience and beyond. The study will include 120 diverse (African American, Latina, American Indian, and Euro-American) participants in 3 states and 11 sites.Intellectual MeritThe study offers a new perspective and innovative methodology to address the question, why are there so few women, including women of color, in engineering and how might this imbalance be lessened? In the career exploration phase of the study, young women who are academically-able but not already interested in engineering will be encouraged to direct and document their own approach to what they learn about engineering. By encouraging the women's own career explorations and reflections, and using current and appropriate-for-youth communication technologies, the PIs intend to elicit their "authentic" perspectives on engineering as a field of study and a career choice. This approach is different from much current research that documents young women's lack of interest and participation in engineering but does not directly investigate how young women see and perceive the profession while they explore its career potential. In addition, the study will contribute valuable information to the career development literature by identifying features and themes of young women's attitudes and decision-making about engineering as a career option. Moreover, by examining diverse young women's own views over time, this research will provide a deeper and richer understanding of gender, youth, and multicultural standpoints in relation to the engineering profession.Broader ImpactsOn a broad national scale, this study seeks to discover and describe the career exploration experiences of a diverse population of young women. It also seeks to examine the reasons for the disinterest in engineering of young women as they consider future career options. The study aims to provide knowledge to expand the engineering workforce as well as to support diversity and multicultural initiatives currently underway in academia and industry. Dissemination of the findings will be through higher education, business communities, and professional societies, catalyzing deeper sensitivity toward those underrepresented in the engineering ranks. This will be accomplished primarily through presentations at professional association conferences, publications in peer-reviewed journals and popular press venues, and web sites.