Perceived benefits of a STEM intervention program and engineering self-efficacy: A multi-method investigatio

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Department/School

Leadership and Counseling

Publication Title

International Journal of Engineering Education

Abstract

This study explored how students in an intervention program for underrepresented populations pursuing engineering in a U.S. university perceived the program's benefits and the relationships of those perceptions with participants' engineering self-efficacy in their first year of undergraduate study. Data came from a multi-method, longitudinal study of the U-ENGIN program situated in a highly selective research university in the U.S. Midwest. Participants included 147 U-ENGIN students and 78 College of Engineering comparison group members for a total sample size of 225 over a time period of four years. Results are reported for Students of Color, White students, and a comparison group of students that did not participate in the intervention program. In this study, Students of Color refers to African Americans, American Indians or Native Americans, Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders, Latinx, and any non-White race specified by the respondents. Findings indicate the program contributed to increased engineering self-efficacy for Students of Color, while support networks cultivated through the program and exposure to engineering prerequisites prepared them for their academic experience. The study provides insight into how elements of a STEM intervention program can contribute to the self-efficacy of underrepresented students and potentially impact student success.

Comments

S. P. Beverly is a faculty member in EMU's Department of Leadership and Counseling.

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