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A Quantitative Exploration of Geographic and Demographic Variance Transfer-Student Capital Assets and Support for Pre-Transfer Engineering Students

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

Transfer issues between 2-year colleges and 4-year Engineering and Engineering Technology programs 2

Tagged Division

Two-Year College Division (TYCD)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/46482

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Paper Authors

biography

Kristin Kelly Frady Clemson University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-4194-8848

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Kristin Frady is an Assistant Professor and Founding Program Director of the Human Capital Education and Development Bachelor of Science with a joint appointment between the Educational and Organizational Leadership Development and Engineering and Science Education Departments. Her research focuses on innovations in workforce development at educational and career transitions emphasizing two-year college and secondary STEM and career education, educational innovations, and the middle skill workforce which has resulted in over 110 publications and presentations. Kris has written and been awarded 24 federal and foundation grants totaling over $17.7 million including the National Science Foundation’s prestigious early CAREER award. Kris has also led development of nationally adopted digital learning and training tools for technician education including virtual reality tools, e-learning modules, and iBooks.

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biography

Randi Sims Clemson University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-6380-2460

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Randi is a current Ph.D. student in the department of Engineering and Science Education at Clemson University. Her research interests center around undergraduate research experiences using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Her career goals are to work as an evaluator or consultant on educationally based research projects with an emphasis on statistical analyses and big data.

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Christy Jenkins Brown Clemson University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-3297-0488

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Dr. Christy Brown is a Clinical Associate Professor of Quantitative Methodology in the Department of Education and Human Development (EHD) at Clemson University. She teaches doctoral-level courses in statistics for educational contexts and provides statistical support to educational researchers through her role as the founding director of the EHD Quantitative Clinic. She holds a PhD in Quantitative Methods in Educational Psychology, an MS in Statistics, and a BSEd in Mathematics Education, all from the University of Georgia.

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Abstract

Many students who begin higher education at community colleges desire to transfer to baccalaureate institutions yet, less than a quarter transfer and graduate within six years. Within the field of engineering, the challenges are even more pronounced, and the transfer students are fewer due to tight curriculum programs and prerequires. While research on engineering transfer students is emerging, most of the research focuses on post-transfer students and there is a gap in understanding of pre-transfer engineering students. In addition to this gap, there is little understanding of the geographic and demographic variance in transfer assets of pre-transfer engineering students. Transfer student capital (TSC), a framework which identifies various constructs designed to improve transfer student success, is the theoretical framework which guides this research study. This quantitative study sought to understand how pre-transfer engineering students perceived the extent to which they possessed the factors or attributes required to develop strong TSC. The instrument in this study combined questions from three previously research validated transfer student surveys (Penn State Preparing the Engineer 2020 Community and Two-Year College Survey, Engineering Student Transfer Survey and the Iowa State University Transfer Student Survey). 171 pretransfer students, with 61 usable full responses, responded to the Qualtrics survey distributed via email. Analysis of this study analyzed areas of TSC in five areas including: location (or institution), race, gender, traditional vs. non-traditional student, familial educational attainment, and first-generation versus not first-generation college students. Findings suggest that there were significant differences for transfer students which differed based on their gender, first-generation status, non-traditional student status, and location. Practical implications of this research provide faculty and staff working with engineering students with real world recommendations of how to best support specific geographic and demographic nuances of pre-transfer engineering students in areas of advising, support, and faculty-student interactions. The combination of these findings and implications provides new insights into engineering education which shift more focus to the importance of pre-transfer geographic and demographic variance. Success in this work will broaden participation in engineering education and provide important pathways and transfer student capital supports for all students desiring to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Frady, K. K., & Sims, R., & Brown, C. J. (2024, June), A Quantitative Exploration of Geographic and Demographic Variance Transfer-Student Capital Assets and Support for Pre-Transfer Engineering Students Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/46482

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