Fredericks, A. C., & Fleming, L. N., & Burrell, J. O., & Griffin, A. R. (2012, June), Perspectives on the Learning Environment: Classroom Culture and Social Transactions at an HBCU  Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--21795

\bibitem{asee_peer_21795}
  Fredericks, A. C., \& Fleming, L. N., \& Burrell, J. O., \& Griffin, A. R. (2012, June), \emph{Perspectives on the Learning Environment: Classroom Culture and Social Transactions at an HBCU}
  Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, San Antonio, Texas.
  10.18260/1-2--21795

Afiya C. Fredericks, Lorraine N. Fleming P.E., Jennifer O. Burrell, and Ashley R. Griffin.  "Perspectives on the Learning Environment: Classroom Culture and Social Transactions at an HBCU".  2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, 2012, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2012.  https://peer.asee.org/21795 Internet.  15 Dec, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_21795}
  Afiya C. Fredericks, Lorraine N. Fleming P.E., Jennifer O. Burrell, and Ashley R. Griffin.
  "Perspectives on the Learning Environment: Classroom Culture and Social Transactions at an HBCU".
  \emph{2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, 2012, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2012.
  https://peer.asee.org/21795 Internet.  15 Dec, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_21795
author = "Afiya C. Fredericks, Lorraine N. Fleming P.E., Jennifer O. Burrell, and Ashley R. Griffin"
title = "Perspectives on the Learning Environment: Classroom Culture and Social Transactions at an HBCU"
booktitle = "2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2012"
month = "June"
address = "San Antonio, Texas"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/21795}
number = {10.18260/1-2--21795}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -   Perspectives on the Learning Environment: Classroom Culture and Social                          Transactions at an HBCUCritical to the quality of the higher education experience is the learning environment. Classroomculture and the peer to peer and instructor to peer transactions that occur within the learningenvironment play a significant role in student academic performance. Recently, there have beengreat demands that have been placed on the United States to produce a competent, diverse,globally engaged STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) workforce, who canaddress the critical challenges facing our nation. Therefore, it is imperative that research focuson the learning experiences of this particular group of students. The present research addressesthe current concerns through employing a mixed method approach to understand the classroomculture and social transactions of African American male engineering students at an HBCU,utilizing their authentic voice.Social cognitive theories of motivation have investigated the meanings associated withcognitions about abilities and attributions. Informing the current research, one such theory thatseeks to explain students’ intent for pursuing and persisting at different academic tasks within thelearning environment is the achievement goal theory. This theory suggests that if studentsperceive the environment as emphasizing learning and improvement, students are more likely topursue mastery goals and seek to deeply understand the material, whereas, if students perceivethis environment as emphasizing grades, high ability and besting others, they are more likely topursue performance goals. There is reason to believe that the former theory is moreadvantageous, encouraging mastery and learning.The current study utilizes a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data was collected from 53randomly selected African American male engineering students in survey form. The survey wasutilized to collect student demographics as well as data on students’ achievement goal orientationand social transactions. A semi-structured interview was utilized to gain insight into elementspresent within the classroom as observed by the students. Lastly, focus groups were conductedto gain additional insight on the nature of consensus on the learning environment withinengineering at the HBCU.Preliminary results of the study reveal that meaningful learning, faculty support, peer support,networking and motivation were emergent themes. More specifically, working with peers,instructor support and connecting familiar concepts with new material, were found to positivelyaffect the learning environment and ultimately the academic experience. Conversely, the lack ofinstructor support, poor instruction and unrealistic expectations were factors that negativelyaffected the learning environment. Currently, data analysis is still underway. However, thecurrent research can inform educators and researchers on strategies that if utilized in theengineering classroom can effectively enhance the learning environment, reduce attrition,increase academic performance and ultimately aid in the production of well needed, competentminority engineers.
AU  - Afiya C. Fredericks
AU  - Lorraine N. Fleming P.E.
AU  - Jennifer O. Burrell
AU  - Ashley R. Griffin
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Perspectives on the Learning Environment: Classroom Culture and Social Transactions at an HBCU
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/21795
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--21795
ER  -