Does Endorsement of Masculine Ideals Predict Sense of Belonging and Identity over Performance and Peer interactions?

Stephanie Butler Velegol; Katharine Getz; Mechteld Veltman Hillsley

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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: Cultivating Community, Wellness, and Character Development
Tagged Division: Chemical Engineering Division (ChED)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47203

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Paper Authors

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Stephanie Butler Velegol Penn State University

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Stephanie Butler Velegol is a Teaching Professor in Chemical Engineering at Penn State University. She pioneered the use of Flipped classes to increase active leaning in the classroom and works on water treatment.

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Katharine Getz Penn State University

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Katharine Getz is a rising fourth year student at Penn State University studying chemical engineering and sexuality and gender studies. Katharine’s research interests include the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students in engineering programs and the differences in belonging and the construction of resilience across students of different identities. She is looking to attend graduate school for engineering education.

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Mechteld Veltman Hillsley Penn State University

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Dr. Hillsley is a Teaching Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. She received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1988 and an MS and PhD from Penn State in 1990 and 1994, respective

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Abstract

Recently there has been increased attention around the need for engineering students to have a sense of belonging to improve retention but also mental health and well-being (Davis 2023). Disparities of belonging among different groups cannot be convincingly explained by differences in qualifications, performance, or skills. Therefore, attention has increasingly focused on environmental/situational factors that differentially impact the degree to which students develop an engineering identity and sense of belonging.

The present work examines whether performance, peer interaction and endorsement of broad masculinity ideals predicts both the development of a student’s sense of belonging and engineering identity. We will test the novel hypothesis that students’ endorsement of masculine ideals – or beliefs that men should be high in power, status, and toughness, while repudiating all that is feminine – will predict unique variance in a sense of belonging and engineering identity, over and above the effects of performance and peer interaction.

The results are based on a survey given to approximately 300 chemical engineering students in required 2nd year, 3rd year and 4th year courses at a large R1 university. The sense of belonging will be measured using a measurement of sense of social and academic fit (Walton 2015) while engineering identity will be measured using the collective self-esteem scale (Luhtanen 1992). The peer interaction instrument used is based on work by Davis et. al (Davis 2023) while performance will be determined based on students’ self-reported GPA. Finally, the hegemonic masculinity scale used is from work from Thompson and Pleck (Thompson 1986). These results will provide insight into aspects of the culture of engineering and its effect on student's sense of belonging. 

Walton, G. M., Logel, C., Peach, J. M., Spencer, S. J., & Zanna, M. P. (2015). Two brief interventions to mitigate a “chilly climate” transform women’s experience, relationships, and achievement in engineering. Journal of educational Psychology, 107(2), 468. Luhtanen, R., & Crocker, J. (1992). A collective self-esteem scale: Self-evaluation of one's social identity. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 18(3), 302-318. Davis, S. C., Nolen, S. B., Cheon, N., Moise, E., & Hamilton, E. W. (2023). Engineering climate for marginalized groups: Connections to peer relations and engineering identity. Journal of Engineering Education. Thompson Jr, E. H., & Pleck, J. H. (1986). The structure of male role norms. American Behavioral Scientist, 29(5), 531-543.

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Velegol, S. B., & Getz, K., & Hillsley, M. V. (2024, June), Does Endorsement of Masculine Ideals Predict Sense of Belonging and Identity over Performance and Peer interactions? Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47203

TY - CPAPER
AB - Recently there has been increased attention around the need for engineering students to have a sense of belonging to improve retention but also mental health and well-being (Davis 2023). Disparities of belonging among different groups cannot be convincingly explained by differences in qualifications, performance, or skills. Therefore, attention has increasingly focused on environmental/situational factors that differentially impact the degree to which students develop an engineering identity and sense of belonging.

The present work examines whether performance, peer interaction and endorsement of broad masculinity ideals predicts both the development of a student’s sense of belonging and engineering identity. We will test the novel hypothesis that students’ endorsement of masculine ideals – or beliefs that men should be high in power, status, and toughness, while repudiating all that is feminine – will predict unique variance in a sense of belonging and engineering identity, over and above the effects of performance and peer interaction.

The results are based on a survey given to approximately 300 chemical engineering students in required 2nd year, 3rd year and 4th year courses at a large R1 university. The sense of belonging will be measured using a measurement of sense of social and academic fit (Walton 2015) while engineering identity will be measured using the collective self-esteem scale (Luhtanen 1992). The peer interaction instrument used is based on work by Davis et. al (Davis 2023) while performance will be determined based on students’ self-reported GPA. Finally, the hegemonic masculinity scale used is from work from Thompson and Pleck (Thompson 1986). These results will provide insight into aspects of the culture of engineering and its effect on student&#39;s sense of belonging.

Walton, G. M., Logel, C., Peach, J. M., Spencer, S. J., &amp;amp; Zanna, M. P. (2015). Two brief interventions to mitigate a “chilly climate” transform women’s experience, relationships, and achievement in engineering. Journal of educational Psychology, 107(2), 468.
Luhtanen, R., &amp;amp; Crocker, J. (1992). A collective self-esteem scale: Self-evaluation of one&#39;s social identity. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 18(3), 302-318.
Davis, S. C., Nolen, S. B., Cheon, N., Moise, E., &amp;amp; Hamilton, E. W. (2023). Engineering climate for marginalized groups: Connections to peer relations and engineering identity. Journal of Engineering Education.
Thompson Jr, E. H., &amp;amp; Pleck, J. H. (1986). The structure of male role norms. American Behavioral Scientist, 29(5), 531-543.
AU - Stephanie Butler Velegol
AU - Katharine Getz
AU - Mechteld Veltman Hillsley
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Does Endorsement of Masculine Ideals Predict Sense of Belonging and Identity over Performance and Peer interactions?
UR - https://peer.asee.org/47203
ER -