Board 118: Mixing it Up: A Pilot Study on the Experiences of Mixed-Race Asian-American Students in Engineering

Michelle Choi Ausman; Qin Zhu

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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: Equity, Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY) Poster Session
Tagged Divisions: Equity and Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/46674

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Paper Authors

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Michelle Choi Ausman Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Michelle Choi Ausman is a second-year PhD student in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech. She received a BS in Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and an MS in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her research interests include engineering identity; inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility; Asian American Studies; Critical Mixed Race Studies; engineering ethics; and pop culture.

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Qin Zhu Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University orcid.org/0000-0002-6673-1901

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Dr. Zhu is Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education and Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Science, Technology & Society and the Center for Human-Computer Interaction at Virginia Tech. Dr. Zhu is also an Affiliate Researcher at the Colorado School of Mines. Dr. Zhu is Editor for International Perspectives at the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science, Associate Editor for Engineering Studies, and Executive Committee Member of the International Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum. Dr. Zhu's research interests include global and international engineering education, engineering ethics, engineering cultures, and ethics and policy of computing technologies and robotics.

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Abstract

Engineering Education Research (EER) has approached the category of mixed-race students as a precarious population within engineering. Due to the various selections available in demographic data, mixed-race students are often not counted in the numbers and resources available for students with minoritized identities [1]. Therefore, these students may be left behind or ‘invisibilized’ within engineering education. In particular, Asian American mixed-race students are challenged by the “Model Minority Myth” which intersects with their other non-Asian American racial/ethnic identity they hold. Asian American mixed-race students navigate a unique path in engineering due to their intersectional identities along with their other cultural and professional identities. Thus, we ask the following research question: What does it mean to be a mixed-race Asian American in engineering? The purpose of this pilot study is to develop a foundation for a larger study on the experiences of mixed-race Asian American students in undergraduate engineering. In qualitative studies, pilot studies are utilized to develop more complex research studies for guiding research directions. Pilot studies can help qualitative researchers face unanticipated and incidental challenges early in the research process. Some of these challenges can: help refine research tools such as research questions and frameworks, create a flexible and iterative research design process, minimize researcher bias, and serve as indispensable gateways to unknown research spaces [2]. Reflecting on the design process through this pilot study can help narrow down specific questions, frameworks, and design choices. In this pilot study, the leading author interviewed six mixed-race Asian American students enrolled in undergraduate engineering to understand how they made sense of their identities (Asian American, mixed-race, and engineering). We were interested in understanding their experiences navigating engineering while being mixed-race Asian American students. We aim to use this study to achieve certain goals: (1) acquiring some general knowledge of mixed-race identity factors salient to students (due to the lack of research on mixed race students in general in engineering education); (2) experimenting with interview questions and refining them for later research; and (3) exploring what theoretical frameworks are viable for this research. At this stage, we want to explore the feasibility of applying either Critical Multiracial Theory (MultiCrit) or Asian Critical Theory (AsianCrit) and evaluate to what extent and in what sense it could fit the goals of our research. MultiCrit has been guided by the Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a way to include mixed-race students as a population whose intersectional identities are often not considered in higher education [3]. While MultiCrit was developed for use in Higher Education, it has not been utilized empirically in Engineering Education Research as a theoretical framework. This work aims to add to larger discussions in the Engineering Education community regarding truly inclusive spaces for all underserved students.

Citation
Format

Ausman, M. C., & Zhu, Q. (2024, June), Board 118: Mixing it Up: A Pilot Study on the Experiences of Mixed-Race Asian-American Students in Engineering Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/46674

TY - CPAPER
AB - Engineering Education Research (EER) has approached the category of mixed-race students as a precarious population within engineering. Due to the various selections available in demographic data, mixed-race students are often not counted in the numbers and resources available for students with minoritized identities [1]. Therefore, these students may be left behind or ‘invisibilized’ within engineering education. In particular, Asian American mixed-race students are challenged by the “Model Minority Myth” which intersects with their other non-Asian American racial/ethnic identity they hold. Asian American mixed-race students navigate a unique path in engineering due to their intersectional identities along with their other cultural and professional identities. Thus, we ask the following research question: What does it mean to be a mixed-race Asian American in engineering?
The purpose of this pilot study is to develop a foundation for a larger study on the experiences of mixed-race Asian American students in undergraduate engineering. In qualitative studies, pilot studies are utilized to develop more complex research studies for guiding research directions. Pilot studies can help qualitative researchers face unanticipated and incidental challenges early in the research process. Some of these challenges can: help refine research tools such as research questions and frameworks, create a flexible and iterative research design process, minimize researcher bias, and serve as indispensable gateways to unknown research spaces [2]. Reflecting on the design process through this pilot study can help narrow down specific questions, frameworks, and design choices.
In this pilot study, the leading author interviewed six mixed-race Asian American students
enrolled in undergraduate engineering to understand how they made sense of their identities (Asian American, mixed-race, and engineering). We were interested in understanding their experiences navigating engineering while being mixed-race Asian American students. We aim to use this study to achieve certain goals: (1) acquiring some general knowledge of mixed-race identity factors salient to students (due to the lack of research on mixed race students in general in engineering education); (2) experimenting with interview questions and refining them for later research; and (3) exploring what theoretical frameworks are viable for this research.
At this stage, we want to explore the feasibility of applying either Critical Multiracial Theory (MultiCrit) or Asian Critical Theory (AsianCrit) and evaluate to what extent and in what sense it could fit the goals of our research. MultiCrit has been guided by the Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a way to include mixed-race students as a population whose intersectional identities are often not considered in higher education [3]. While MultiCrit was developed for use in Higher Education, it has not been utilized empirically in Engineering Education Research as a theoretical framework. This work aims to add to larger discussions in the Engineering Education community regarding truly inclusive spaces for all underserved students.
AU - Michelle Choi Ausman
AU - Qin Zhu
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Board 118: Mixing it Up: A Pilot Study on the Experiences of Mixed-Race Asian-American Students in Engineering
UR - https://peer.asee.org/46674
ER -