Collaborative Research: Broadening Participation in Engineering among Women and Latina/os: A Longitudinal, Multi-Site Study

该项目旨在调查社会认知，文化，个性和背景因素对工程专业学生和工人的满意度，参与度和持久性的纵向影响，如社会认知职业生涯理论（SCCT）所假设的。长期代表性不足的白色妇女和拉丁美洲/os在工程专业和工作提供了这种调查的心理因素，导致他们的学术和职业满意度，参与和持久性的理由。使用的数据从9个工程学院的工程专业学生的样本，PI建议测试的假设，SCCT模型将解释工程相关的满意度，敬业度，持久性的显着差异。SEM对这些因素的研究将辅之以对个人和机构因素的定性研究。该项目的智力价值包括：1）在预测白色妇女和拉丁美洲妇女在大学和职业生涯早期阶段的满意度，参与度和持久性方面，SCCT模型的实用性的潜在结论性检查; 2）了解社会认知，环境和文化因素在满意度，参与度，随着时间的推移，白色妇女和拉丁美洲/os在工程管道中的保留; 3）推进理论，以解释工程满意度，参与度和拉丁美洲/os和白色妇女在工程中的持久性; 4）理解影响白色女性和拉丁裔工程师的持久性和非持久性决策的因素;和5）制定可靠有效的措施来评估工程和工程具体学习经验中的负面结果预期。这项工作将为定制干预措施的制定提供信息，以加强相关的系统支持，并加强社会认知，这是每个群体参与、持久性和工程满意度的最强预测因素。研究结果也可以提供信息，以制定支持战略点，在学生的教育培训时，他们可能会在较高的风险辍学的工程。

The project aims to investigate the longitudinal effects of social cognitive, cultural, personality and contextual factors on engineering students and workers satisfaction, engagement, and persistence as posited by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). The longstanding underrepresentation of White women and Latina/os in engineering majors and jobs provides the rationale for this investigation of psychological factors leading to their academic and career satisfaction, engagement, and persistence. Using data from a sample of engineering students of nine engineering colleges, the PIs propose to test the hypothesis that SCCT model will explain significant variance in engineering-related satisfaction, engagement, persistence. SEM study of these factors will be complemented with a qualitative study of the individual and institutional factors. Intellectual merits of the project include: 1) A potentially conclusive examination of the utility of the SCCT model in predicting satisfaction, engagement, and persistence in engineering for White women and Latina/os both during college and early career stages; 2) Understanding the role of social cognitive, environmental and cultural factors in the satisfaction, engagement, and retention of White women and Latina/os in the engineering pipeline over time; 3) Advancing theory to explain engineering satisfaction, engagement, and persistence of Latina/os and White women in engineering; 4) Understanding factors influencing the persistence and non-persistence decisions of White women and Latina/o engineers; and 5) Developing reliable and valid measures to assess negative outcome expectations in engineering and engineering specific learning experiences.Results from this work will inform the development of custom interventions to enhance relevant systemic supports and bolster the social cognitions that are the strongest predictors in engagement, persistence, and satisfaction in engineering for each group. The findings can also inform to develop supports for strategic points in students' educational training when they may be at higher risk for dropping out of engineering.