Studying Student Support and Success Experiences to Improve Persistence of Nontraditional Students in Engineering

这个项目旨在通过提高学生在本科工程专业的坚持性来服务于国家利益。为此，它将对工程专业的非传统学生进行研究，目的是更好地了解如何支持他们完成工程学位。如果学生不是从高中直接进入四年制学位课程，他们就被认为是非传统的。在美国，非传统学生在本科生中的比例越来越高，通常构成了学院或大学的大多数学生。除了不是直接从高中进入四年制学位课程之外，非传统学生通常还有其他特点，比如上大学的兼职，有家属，入学时全职工作，经济独立，和/或拥有高中文凭以外的证书。针对具有这种非传统特征的工科学生的研究很少。填补这一空白很重要，因为工程学的持久率和保留率普遍较低，其课程往往与传统的四年住校学位相一致(例如，小组项目、自习室)。因此，迫切需要了解如何设计支持结构，使其对具有任何非传统特征的学生有效。该项目将加强工程界对非传统学生的了解，包括制定指导方针，帮助所有类型的机构更好地支持非传统学生的成功。这个项目将有助于一个未被充分研究的研究领域：了解非传统学生在工程学方面的需求和经验。该项目研究计划采用了理论驱动的混合方法案例研究，对扬斯敦州立大学非传统工程专业的学生进行了为期三年的研究，并将为非传统工程专业的学生提供经验和支持方面的知识。它还将产生注重行动的指导方针，以提高非传统工科学生的毅力和成功。本项目将考察三个研究问题：(1)当前非传统工科学生的整体体验是什么？(2)非传统工科学生在完成学位课程的过程中如何参与到共同课程的支持中？(3)非传统学生特征对学生融入和学生成功有何影响？主要数据来源包括对1000多名工科非传统学生的调查，焦点小组，以及在整个学期的多个时间点完成的反思日记。一个重要的项目成果将是产生新的知识和传播指导方针，以支持非传统学生的学术、社会和专业融合，以及他们与所在机构的参与感。这些结果可以直接有助于提高工科学生的毅力和保持能力。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与的学生学习路径，该计划支持有前景的实践和工具的创建、探索和实施。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 increasing persistence of students in undergraduate engineering programs. To do so, it will conduct a study of nontraditional students in engineering with the goal of better understanding how to support their completion of engineering degrees. Students are considered to be nontraditional if they do not enter a four-year degree program directly from high school. Nontraditional students are an increasing proportion of undergraduates in the United States and often form the majority of students in a college or university. Beyond not entering a four year degree program directly from high school, nontraditional students often have other characteristics, such as attending college part-time, having dependents, working full-time when enrolled, being financially independent, and/or having certifications other than a high school diploma. There is little research into engineering students with such nontraditional characteristics. Filling this gap is important because engineering has a generally low persistence and retention rate and its curricula are often aligned with a traditional four-year residential degree (e.g., group projects, study halls). Thus, there is a pressing need to understand how support structures can be designed to be effective for students with any nontraditional characteristics. This project will strengthen the engineering community’s understanding of nontraditional students, including development of guidelines to help institutions of all types better support the success of nontraditional students. This project will contribute to an understudied area of research: understanding the needs and experiences of nontraditional students in engineering. The project research plan uses a theory-driven mixed-methods case study of nontraditional students in engineering at Youngstown State University over a three-year period and will produce a body of knowledge on experiences and supports for nontraditional students in engineering. It will also generate action-focused guidelines for improving persistence and success of nontraditional students in engineering. This project will examine three research questions: (1) What is the holistic experience of current nontraditional students in engineering? (2) How do nontraditional students in engineering engage with co-curricular supports as they progress through their degree program? and (3) What impact do nontraditional student characteristics have on student integration and student success? Major data sources include a survey of over 1,000 nontraditional students in engineering, focus groups, and reflective diaries completed at multiple points throughout the semester. A significant project outcome will be to generate new knowledge and disseminate guidelines for supporting nontraditional students’ academic, social, and professional integration, and their sense of engagement with their institutions. These outcomes can directly contribute to improved persistence and retention of engineering students. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.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.