Surviving and thriving: Voices of Latina/o engineering students at a Hispanic serving institution.

Abstract

This study examined factors that played a role in Latina/o undergraduate students' persistence in engineering at a Hispanic serving institution (HSI; N ϭ 10) using the consensual qualitative research method (CQR;Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997). Data analyses resulted in five domains: institutional conditions, additive intersectional burdens, personal and cultural wealth, coping skills, and engineering identity. Participants described how they persisted in the face of stressors, citing specific coping skills they developed over time as well as general personal and cultural strengths they carried with them into their pursuit of engineering. Although the structures of the students' institution were generally described as supportive, Latina participants reported experiences with gendered racism that created added barriers to their persistence in engineering. Supportive institutional conditions, personal and cultural assets, and adaptive coping strategies appeared to facilitate the development of a strong engineering identity, which helped to solidify students' sense of belonging, pride, and commitment to complete their degree. Results highlight the need to address intersecting experiences of privilege and oppression to promote access and equity for Latinas/os in engineering. Public Significance StatementLatinas in engineering experience intersectional forms of marginalization that must be attended to in the development of interventions to support their success. Hispanic serving institutions and Latina/o students have unique strengths that may be leveraged to promote Latinas/os' persistence in engineering. Findings from this study offer practical interventions for educators and career counselors to facilitate inclusive engineering communities for Latina/o engineering students.

Broadening the Participation of Latinx in Engineering: Highlights from a National, Longitudinal Study

“…Most of the variance accounted for in Realistic and Investigative self-efficacy and outcome expectations were related to the effects of self-efficacy and outcome expectations from Time 1 to the same variable at Time 2. Analysis of interviews using consensual qualitative research [23] with ten Latinx engineering students identified five domains that played a role in their persistence decisions: institutional conditions, additive intersectional burdens, personal and cultural wealth, coping skills, and engineering identity [24]. However, the findings from this 3year project were limited to a sample attending the same HSI.…”

Self-efficacy and belonging: the impact of a university makerspace

“…Unfortunately, underrepresented students' lack of a sense of belonging, often due to a chilly climate ingrained in the departmental culture, is well documented in STEM (Johnson 2012;Lee et al 2020;Rainey et al 2018) and in engineering specifically (Banda and Flowers 2016;Garriott et al 2019;Godbole et al 2018;Tate and Linn 2005). Given that makerspaces can act as anticipatory socialization for future engineers, where students may model professional engineering practice and learn associated norms, it is necessary to assume there is a risk that undesirable elements of engineering culture may be reproduced there (Vossoughi et al 2016).…”

“…While it is not particularly meaningful nor just to group international students with racial minorities, it is important to note that this combined group of individuals, who are likely already marginalized in multiple aspects of their education, are not seeing the benefits to sense of belonging to a makerspace their peers experienced simply by taking a class which requires makerspace use. While more research is needed to replicate and understand this finding, the important implication is that more attention needs to be paid to helping marginalized groups feel like they belong and reap the full benefits of makerspace participation, especially given the historically chilly climates for underrepresented groups in both documented STEM (Johnson 2012;Lee et al 2020;Rainey et al 2018) and engineering specifically (Banda and Flowers 2016;Garriott et al 2019;Godbole et al 2018;Tate and Linn 2005). Further, it is important to consider members of historically marginalized groups as individuals.…”

Broadening Engineering Orientation for First-Year Students

“…Unfortunately, research also shows that underserved students' have a lack of a sense of belonging in STEM departments and in engineering specifically [31] - [33]. Research suggests that underserved minorities struggle to feel connected to their programs and do not readily see themselves successfully navigating the engineering curriculum to become engineers [23].…”