MCA: Towards a Theory of Engineering Identity Development & Persistence of Minoritized Students with Imposter Feelings: A Longitudinal Mixed-methods Study of Developmental Networks

该项目旨在推进首席调查员关于发展关系作为提高妇女和有色人种职业发展机制的研究议程。调查员将从事一个新的研究领域，探索妇女和矿化学生中的冒名顶替者综合症和STEM的交叉性，同时还获得潜在增长曲线分析方面的专业知识。该项目旨在开发一种关于微型化学生的发展网络与他们的工程认同和性格发展之间的关系的理论。本研究包括纵向数据分析、实验研究、使用主客体访谈(SOI)对发展阶段进行实证评估，作为发展网络的前因，以及对冒名顶替者现象(IP)的定量和定性检验。本研究结合社会认知职业理论和交叉性理论框架，对发展网络S的价值进行了理论化，这是一个关系空间，可以使小学生通过交叉性身份工作来解决他们多重身份之间的冲突所产生的冒名顶替者的感觉。提出了九个建议，以考察开发人员网络可以通过哪些机制来建设工程专业的小规模学生的能力，以从事发展工程身份所需的跨部门身份工作并持续下去。该项目的结果预计将扩大对提高女性和少数族裔学生STEM持久性的因素的理解。该项目将审查三个主要研究问题：(1)什么个人和发展因素决定了支持女性和有色人种学生发展稳定的工程身份所需的发展网络的最佳结构和内容？(2)就种族/性别和密度而言，一个人的发展网络的结构是如何在与女性和少数族裔学生相似和不同的开发人员的关系强度方面的彼此影响他们克服冒名顶替者的感觉并培养工程师身份以随时间坚持从事工程的可能性？(3)从来自多个社会领域的开发人员获得的文化相关指导支持方面，一个人的发展网络的内容如何影响他们克服冒名顶替者的感觉并培养工程师身份以随时间坚持从事工程的可能性？将从参加调查、研讨会和练习的矿化工程专业学生那里收集定量和定性数据，并使用相关分析、均值、标准差、量表的可靠性分析、人口统计学工具、潜在增长曲线建模和结构方程建模进行分析。这项研究将发展关于发展网络的理论，以指导旨在提高妇女和少数族裔在工程领域的STEM持久性的干预措施。该项目由职业中期促进计划资助，该计划为科学家和工程师提供机会，通过协同和互惠互利的合作伙伴关系，实质性地加强和推进他们的研究计划。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。

The project aims to advance the principal investigator’s research agenda on developmental relationships as mechanisms for career advancement of women and people of color. The investigator will undertake a new area of research by exploring imposter syndrome among women and minoritized students and intersectionality in STEM while also gaining expertise in latent growth curve analysis. The project aims to develop a theory on the relationship between minoritized students’ developmental networks and their engineering identity and disposition development. The research includes a longitudinal data analysis, experimental research, use of Subject-Object Interview (SOI) to assess developmental stage empirically as an antecedent of developmental networks, and quantitative and qualitative examination of Imposter Phenomenon (IP). The study integrates the Social Cognitive Career Theory and the theoretical framework of intersectionality to theorize the value of developmental networks s a relational space that can enable minoritized students to address imposter feelings stemming from the conflict between their multiple identities through intersectional identity work. Nine propositions are offered to examine the mechanisms through which a network of developers can build capacity of minoritized students in engineering to engage in intersectional identity work needed to develop an engineering identity and persist. The results of the project are expected to broaden the understanding of factors that increase STEM persistence among women and minoritized students.The project will examine three overarching research questions: (1) What individual and developmental factors determine the optimal structure and content of developmental networks needed for supporting women and students of color to develop a stable engineering identity needed to persist in engineering over time? (2) How does the structure of one’s developmental network in terms of strength of relationships with developers similar and dissimilar to women and minoritized students in terms of race/gender and density in regard to the extent to which those developers know each other influence their likelihood of overcoming imposter feelings and develop engineering identity to persist in engineering over time? (3)How does the content of one’s developmental network in terms of culturally relevant mentoring support received from developers from multiple social spheres influence their likelihood of overcoming imposter feelings and develop engineering identity to persist in engineering over time? Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected from minoritized engineering students who will participate in surveys, workshops, and exercises and analyzed using correlational analysis, means, standard deviations, reliability analysis of scale, demographic instruments, latent growth curve modeling, and structural equation modeling. The study will develop theory about developmental networks that can guide interventions designed to increase STEM persistence of women and minorities in engineering. This project is funded by the Mid-Career Advancement program that offers opportunities for scientists and engineers to substantively enhance and advance their research program through synergistic and mutually beneficial partnerships.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.