Understanding the Role of Undergraduate Research and Mentoring in the Self-Efficacy, Identity, and Success of Engineering Undergraduate Students

该项目旨在通过提高孟菲斯大学工程专业学生的学术成就和扩大参与范围，为国家利益服务。研究表明，工程身份和自我效能感在学生留校率和毕业率中起着重要作用。本研究将探讨师徒辅导与本科研究对培养学生工程认同与自我效能的影响。这个项目的一个重要方面是理解在研究和指导方面提出的干预措施如何能够帮助那些可能不认为自己“适应”工程学的大学生作为扩大参与的一种手段。这个项目将增加本科生研究作为课程的一部分的使用，使所有学生都能获得研究经验，并促进工程学的广泛参与。项目团队将适应、实施、研究和评估一个有针对性的以主动学习为重点的本科研究经验，学生将获得工程学士学位的课程学分。通过同伴和教师指导，早在大学一年级就开始研究的学生将在本科期间继续进行研究和指导。预计这些干预措施将有助于提高学术成就和持久性，并扩大工程劳动力的参与。该项目的目标是通过整合教育干预措施，如通过基于项目的研究机会主动学习和涉及网络和角色建模的同伴指导，提高孟菲斯大学工程专业的学术成就、保留率、多样性和包容性。教育干预旨在促进本科学生工程认同和自我效能感的发展。旨在培养工程包容性文化的项目活动包括研究培训单元、创新研讨会和指导。该项目的成功实施有望提高工程专业学生的意识和兴趣，并为招收工程专业学生提供一种新的途径。该项目的重要成果将是：1)提高所有工程专业学生的保留率；2)让犹豫不决的新生更容易进入孟菲斯大学的工程专业，特别是为了扩大参与度；3)支持工科本科生的工程身份成长、自我效能感和归属感。尽管其他项目已经研究了本项目中涉及的一些组件，但很少有人像本项目一样将它们放在一起进行研究。因此，这个项目将产生关于如何招募、留住和扩大本科生工程参与的新知识。此外，孟菲斯地区的社区大学生和高中生将通过为期一天的夏季峰会参与研究和指导。调整后的本科生研究和指导模式将通过一个已建立的联盟和其他感兴趣的机构传播。项目成果将通过会议发言和期刊出版物以及通过一个专门的网站传播。NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。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 academic success and broadening participation for engineering students at the University of Memphis. It has been shown that engineering identity and self-efficacy play a role in student retention and graduation rates. This study will examine the impact of mentoring and undergraduate research on developing students’ engineering identity and self-efficacy. An important aspect of the project is understanding how the proposed interventions in research and mentoring can aid college students who may not see themselves as “fitting in” with engineering as a means of broadening participation. This project will increase the use of undergraduate research as part of the curriculum, make research experiences accessible for all students, and promote broadening participation in engineering. The project team will adapt, implement, research, and evaluate a targeted active learning focused undergraduate research experience for which students will receive course credits towards their baccalaureate engineering degree. Using peer and faculty mentoring, students who begin research as early as their first year in college will continue in research and mentoring throughout their time as undergraduate students. It is expected that these interventions will help improve academic success and persistence as well as broaden participation in the engineering workforce.The project goals are to improve academic success, retention, diversity, and inclusion in engineering at the University of Memphis by integrating educational interventions such as active learning through project-based research opportunities and peer mentoring that involves networking and role modeling. The educational interventions are designed to foster the development of engineering identity and self-efficacy in undergraduate students. Project activities that aim to foster an inclusive culture in engineering include research training units, innovation seminars, and mentoring. The successful implementation of this project is expected to increase awareness and interest in engineering majors and provide a new approach to recruiting students to engineering. Important outcomes of the project will be: 1) improving retention of all students in engineering; 2) making engineering majors at the University of Memphis more accessible to undecided freshmen, particularly for the purpose of broadening participation; and 3) supporting engineering identity growth, self-efficacy, and a sense of belonging for undergraduate engineering students. Though other projects have investigated some of the components addressed in this project, few have looked at them collectively, as this project will do. As such, this project will generate new knowledge in how to recruit, retain, and broaden participation in undergraduate engineering. In addition, Memphis area community college students and high school students will engage in research and mentoring through a one-day summer summit. The adapted undergraduate research and mentoring model will be disseminated through an established consortium and to other interested institutions. Project results will be disseminated through conference presentations and journal publications as well as through a dedicated website. 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.