Board 212: Building a Conceptual Understanding of Women STEM Faculty’s Participation in Entrepreneurship Education Programs

Prateek Shekhar; Maya Menon

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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: NSF Grantees Poster Session
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 6
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--46780
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/46780
Download Count: 18

Paper Authors

biography

Prateek Shekhar New Jersey Institute of Technology orcid.org/0000-0001-6552-2887

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Prateek Shekhar is an Assistant Professor – Engineering Education in the School of Applied Engineering and Technology at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas - Austin, an MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and a BS in Electronics and Communication Engineering from India. Dr. Shekhar also holds a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Education from Virginia Tech. Prior to his current appointment, he worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Michigan. He is the recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Postdoctoral Researcher Award at the University of Michigan; and serves as a PI/Co-PI on multiple projects funded by the National Science Foundation. He currently serves in editorial capacity for the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education, and Journal of International Engineering Education.

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Maya Menon New Jersey Institute of Technology orcid.org/0000-0003-3515-6614

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Maya Menon is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at New Jersey Institute of Technology. She completed her PhD in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, graduate degree in Robotics and Automation from Amrita University and undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Arizona State University. Her research interests looks at understanding how engineering education can empower young engineers to work toward a sustainable future, including interdisciplinary engineering education and faculty decision-making.

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Abstract

Discipline-based education researchers (DBERs) often adopt theories and methodologies that are finely tuned to the specific contexts of their respective disciplines. This localized approach is indeed valuable on a disciplinary level, but the greater efficacy of DBER as a field of study hinges on scholars finding a common ground to construct a broadly applicable understanding that transcends disciplinary boundaries. This NSF-funded project ventures into DBER that has the potential to be transformative in the field of STEM education, particularly in the emerging sub-area of STEM entrepreneurship education research. The project investigates entrepreneurship education programs (EEPs) from a conceptual perspective, seeking to understand the factors influencing women faculty's participation in these educational programs. Specifically, this project draws from research conducted in disparate fields to capture the essence of adult participation theories and theoretical foundations from entrepreneurship education literature. This confluence of these theories culminates in creating a unified, overarching framework that serves as a model for systematic investigations into entrepreneurship program participation across various academic disciplines. Furthermore, it situates itself within the intricate socio-cultural landscape of STEM academia, ensuring that the developed conceptual understanding encapsulates the lived experiences of women STEM faculty within the systemic norms of STEM disciplines. In this paper, we illuminate the complex and multifaceted factors influencing women STEM faculty's involvement in EEPs, shedding light on the interplay between personal experiences, systemic challenges, and the broader socio-cultural context. Moreover, we provide a synthesis of interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives that serve as a lens for conducting and analyzing in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 32 women STEM faculty. Overarchingly, the project aims to contribute to the development of EEPs that engage a more extensive and diversified women STEM faculty population. The project's findings are anticipated to provide the entrepreneurship education community with a research-based conceptual understanding for the development of EEPs that are inclusive and, in turn, promote the participation of women STEM faculty. In summary, this research endeavors to advance the understanding of factors influencing women STEM faculty's participation in entrepreneurship education programs and contributes to the creation of an inclusive and equitable landscape for entrepreneurship education across STEM disciplines. By merging multiple theories into a unified model, this project offers a creative way of leveraging interdisciplinary perspectives, underscoring the importance of a shared theoretical foundation for effective education research.

Citation
Format

Shekhar, P., & Menon, M. (2024, June), Board 212: Building a Conceptual Understanding of Women STEM Faculty’s Participation in Entrepreneurship Education Programs Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--46780

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Discipline-based education researchers (DBERs) often adopt theories and methodologies that are finely tuned to the specific contexts of their respective disciplines. This localized approach is indeed valuable on a disciplinary level, but the greater efficacy of DBER  as a field of study hinges on scholars finding a common ground to construct a broadly applicable understanding that transcends disciplinary boundaries. This NSF-funded project ventures into DBER that has the potential to be transformative in the field of STEM education, particularly in the emerging sub-area of STEM entrepreneurship education research. The project investigates entrepreneurship education programs (EEPs) from a conceptual perspective, seeking to understand the factors influencing women faculty&#39;s participation in these educational programs. Specifically, this project draws from research conducted in disparate fields to capture the essence of adult participation theories and theoretical foundations from entrepreneurship education literature. This confluence of these theories culminates in creating a unified, overarching framework that serves as a model for systematic investigations into entrepreneurship program participation across various academic disciplines. Furthermore, it situates itself within the intricate socio-cultural landscape of STEM academia, ensuring that the developed conceptual understanding encapsulates the lived experiences of women STEM faculty within the systemic norms of STEM disciplines. 
 
In this paper, we illuminate the complex and multifaceted factors influencing women STEM faculty&#39;s involvement in EEPs, shedding light on the interplay between personal experiences, systemic challenges, and the broader socio-cultural context. Moreover, we provide a synthesis of interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives that serve as a lens for conducting and analyzing in-depth interviews with a diverse sample of 32 women STEM faculty. Overarchingly, the project aims to contribute to the development of EEPs that engage a more extensive and diversified women STEM faculty population. The project&#39;s findings are anticipated to provide the entrepreneurship education community with a research-based conceptual understanding for the development of EEPs that are inclusive and, in turn, promote the participation of women STEM faculty.
 
In summary, this research endeavors to advance the understanding of factors influencing  women STEM faculty&#39;s participation in entrepreneurship education programs and contributes to the creation of an inclusive and equitable landscape for entrepreneurship education across STEM disciplines. By merging multiple theories into a unified model, this project offers a creative way of leveraging interdisciplinary perspectives, underscoring the importance of a shared theoretical foundation for effective education research.
AU  - Prateek Shekhar
AU  - Maya Menon
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Board 212: Building a Conceptual Understanding of Women STEM Faculty’s Participation in Entrepreneurship Education Programs
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/46780
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--46780
ER  -