Collaborative Research: Research Initiation: Factors Affecting Latina Engineering Student Decisions to Enter Graduate School or Engineering Career Pathways

本项目旨在通过提高对影响拉丁裔工程学生进入研究生工程项目的社会、文化、教育和制度参数的理解，为国家利益服务。这项工作将提高对复杂的心理社会过程的理解，这些过程导致了拉丁裔和西班牙裔学生在STEM领域的持续代表性不足，以及存在比一般人群更大的性别差距。STEM专业的拉丁裔和西班牙裔学生来自美国增长最快的少数族裔。然而，他们在STEM学位方面的代表性非常不足，尤其是在研究生阶段。这项研究通过提供急需的见解来帮助纠正这种情况，以吸引更多的拉丁裔学生进入STEM研究生课程，并最终进入教授行列。这个项目将提高对影响拉丁裔工程学生职业决策的复杂因素的理解，以及他们进入研究生工程学习的可能性。提出了两个研究问题：RQ1：拉丁裔工程专业学生如何描述与他们的决策、决策过程或进入研究生院和/或工程职业道路相关的因素？RQ2：拉丁裔工程专业学生如何描述影响他们决策、决策过程或进入研究生院和/或工程职业道路的社会、文化、教育和机构经历？将采用解释性顺序混合方法。第一阶段是量化的，重点是使用修改后的大学成就模型进行制度整合。第一阶段的结果被用来为定性的第二阶段提供信息，第二阶段将理论框架转移到社区文化财富模型，以参与者的生活经验的复杂性和资产为中心。这样做的目的是为了提供更广泛、更丰富的见解，以了解机构整合问题以及影响拉丁裔工程专业学生研究生学习和职业道路决策的因素和经历背后的文化和社会视角。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by improving understanding of the social, cultural, educational, and institutional parameters affecting matriculation of Latina engineering students into graduate engineering programs. The work will improve understanding of the complex psycho-social processes contributing to the persistent underrepresentation of Latinx and Hispanic students across STEM fields and the existence of a gender gap that is larger than found in the general population. Latinx and Hispanic students in STEM come from the fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States. However, they are extremely underrepresented in terms of STEM degrees, especially at the graduate level. This research helps correct this situation, by providing critically needed insights to draw more Latina students into STEM graduate programs and eventually into the professorial ranks.This project will improve understanding of the complex factors affecting the career decisions of Latina engineering students and their likelihood to enter graduate engineering study. Two research questions are posed: RQ1: How do Latina engineering students describe the factors related to their decision, decision processes, or intentions to enter graduate school and/or engineering career pathways? RQ2: How do Latina engineering students describe the social, cultural, educational, and institutional experiences that impact their decision, decision process, or intentions to enter graduate school and/or engineering career pathways? An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach will be employed. Phase 1 is quantitative with an emphasis on institutional integration using the modified Collegiate Achievement Model. Results from phase 1 are used to inform the qualitative phase 2 which shifts the theoretical framework to the Community Cultural Wealth Model to center the complexities and assets of the participants’ lived experiences. This is done specifically to provide broader, richer insights into both the institutional integration issues and the cultural and social perspectives behind the factors and experiences impacting Latina engineering student graduate study and career pathway decisions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.