GSE/RES: Persistence in Engineering Academic Majors and Entry-Level Engineering Jobs: An Investigation of the Interaction of Gender and Race/Ethnicity

GSE/RES：坚持工程学术专业和入门级工程工作：性别与种族/民族相互作用的调查

• 批准号: 1036713
• 负责人: Lisa Flores
• 金额: $ 52.03万
• 依托单位: University of Missouri-Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-11-01 至 2014-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1036713&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: GSE; RES; Persistence; Engineering; Academic

Intellectual Merit: The University of Missouri Columbia proposes to better understand the underrepresentation of women and Latino/as in engineering, by identifying psychological variables that contribute to their persistence and satisfaction in engineering programs and entry-level engineering careers. The research is grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory, which explains the interaction among personal, environmental, and behavioral variables in the development of career interests, choices, and persistence. Using a sample of engineering students at New Mexico State University (NMSU), a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), the PIs hypothesize that the SCCT model will explain significant variance in students? academic satisfaction and persistence in engineering. In addition, the researchers will test for group invariance of the SCCT model to assess the generalizability in the model based on gender and race/ethnicity. Structural equation modeling (SEM) will be used to examine the hypothesized SCCT model (both cross-sectionally and longitudinally), and a series of multi-group analyses using SEM will be used to test for group invariance. Finally, the PIs will conduct interviews with Latino/a non-persisters in engineering to examine the salient factors in their decision to leave engineering. The proposed study is a collaboration between the University of Missouri (MU) and NMSU.Broader Impacts: Findings from this study will contribute knowledge regarding the cultural validity of SCCT, a theory used to inform educational and career interventions across a variety of majors and professional fields. The findings may lead to theoretical refinements of SCCT with Latino/as as well as new theory development in explaining educational persistence and job satisfaction of Latino/as and White women in engineering. The findings from this project will be disseminated broadly so that educators and practitioners can design and develop effective programs that will enhance social cognitions related to the selection of, persistence in, and satisfaction in engineering among White women and Latino/as. The results will offer information regarding the generalizability of the SCCT model across gender and racial/ethnic groups by illustrating how the relations within this model are distinct or similar across Latinas, White women, Latinos, and White men. Interventions and activities may be tailored for each group to bolster the social cognitions that are the strongest predictors for each group. The findings may also be used to provide supports that can be implemented during strategic points in these students? educational training when they may be at higher risk for dropping out of engineering. Early identification of students at risk of dropping out enables the development of retention strategies to minimize attrition in engineering. Finally, the project will provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, including women students and students of color, in developing expertise in theoretically-driven research and in understanding the career development of women and Latino/as in engineering.

智力优势：密苏里州哥伦比亚大学提出，通过确定有助于他们在工程项目和入门级工程职业的持久性和满意度的心理变量，以更好地了解妇女和拉丁美洲/工程的代表性不足。本研究以社会认知职业理论为基础，解释了个人、环境和行为变量在职业兴趣、选择和坚持发展中的相互作用。使用一个样本的工程专业学生在新墨西哥州州立大学（NMSU），西班牙裔服务机构（HSI），PI假设，SCCT模型将解释显着差异的学生？学术满意度和对工程的执着。此外，研究人员还将测试SCCT模型的群体不变性，以评估基于性别和种族/民族的模型的普遍性。将使用结构方程模型（SEM）检查假设的SCCT模型（横截面和纵向），并使用SEM进行一系列多组分析以检验组不变性。最后，PI将与拉丁裔/非工程坚持者进行访谈，以研究他们决定离开工程的突出因素。拟议的研究是一个合作之间的密苏里州（MU）和NMSU.更广泛的影响：从这项研究的结果将有助于知识SCCT的文化有效性，一个理论，用于通知教育和职业干预在各种专业和专业领域。研究结果可能会导致SCCT与拉丁美洲/以及在解释教育的持久性和工作满意度的拉丁美洲/作为和白色妇女在工程新的理论发展的理论改进。该项目的调查结果将广泛传播，以便教育工作者和从业人员能够设计和开发有效的方案，提高白色妇女和拉丁美洲妇女对工程的选择、坚持和满意度的社会认知。结果将提供有关跨性别和种族/民族群体的SCCT模型的普遍性的信息，说明该模型内的关系是不同的或类似的拉丁美洲人，白色妇女，拉丁美洲人，和白色男子。干预措施和活动可以为每个群体量身定制，以加强社会认知，这是每个群体最强的预测因素。研究结果也可用于提供支持，可以在这些学生的战略点实施？教育培训，当他们可能在较高的风险辍学的工程。早期识别学生辍学的风险，使保留战略的发展，以尽量减少在工程的自然减员。最后，该项目将为本科生和研究生，包括女学生和有色人种学生提供培训机会，培养理论研究方面的专门知识，了解妇女和拉丁美洲人在工程方面的职业发展。