This study investigates factors underlying Native American faculty and students’ participation in engineering and the engineering professorate. The research is an initial step toward filling a gap in the literature concerning factors that support Native Americans’ trajectory into and retention in the engineering professorate. The study will develop essential, primary data, and will advance knowledge by developing and testing materials and methods to utilize in future studies.
Broader impacts
This project will advance the NSF societal outcome of full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Intellectual merit
We expect our findings will inform the design of subsequent cross-sectional and longitudinal research with nationally representative samples to be conducted by our research team and other social science, engineering, and engineering education researchers.
Theoretical frameworks
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (BEM, 1979) will be used to explain the complexity of career development through a multi-systems/multi-cultural perspective (Altmeier & Ali, 2012).
Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994, 2000) will be used to identify motivational variables that guide young people as they advance toward their career goals.
Interested in participating?
Please click on this link for instructions about how to participate in this research. A $15 gift card is available for participation.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YZHH6FV
The research reported herein was funded by grant number 1743329 and 1743752 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Minnesota and Oklahoma State University. The opinions are those of the authors and do not represent the policies of the National Science Foundation.