The Effectiveness of a Multi-year Engineering Enrichment

Linda S Hirsch

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Conference: 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Publication Date: June 23, 2018
Start Date: June 23, 2018
End Date: July 27, 2018
Conference Session: Girls in Engineering
Tagged Division: Pre-College Engineering Education
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 19
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--31090
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/31090
Download Count: 439

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Paper Authors

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Linda S Hirsch New Jersey Institute of Technology

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LINDA S. HIRSCH is the Assistant Director for Research, Evaluation and Program Operations for the Center for Pre-College programs at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Dr. Hirsch has a degree in educational psychology with a specialty in Educational Statistics and Measurement from the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. She has been involved in all aspects of educational and psychological research for over 20 years. Dr. Hirsch has extensive experience conducting longitudinal research studies and is proficient in database management, experimental design, instrument development, psychometrics and statistical programming.

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Abstract

Prior research comparing aspects of single-gender (female-only & male-only) summer enrichment programs to equivalent mixed-gender programs found female-only programs to be effective in educating young girls about engineering, positively influencing their perceptions of engineers and attitudes toward engineering as a career, with mixed results. A more recent examination of gains in content knowledge, self-efficacy, beliefs about gender equity and qualitative perceptions of engineers using the Middle School Attitudes toward Engineering, Knowledge of Engineering Careers Survey and the Draw an Engineer Test in equivalent post-4th grade, 2015 summer programs found significantly positive results; females in the single-gender program showed greater improvement in engineering content knowledge than females in a mixed-gender program, as well as significant increases in self-efficacy and perceptions that women can be engineers. Each program accepts 25 students each summer, with priority given to returning students. A follow-up study was conducted during the summer of 2016 to determine if changes in girls’ attitudes towards engineering, perceptions of engineers and gains in content knowledge were sustained. A majority of the students who participated during 2015 returned for the post-5th grade program in 2016 with 50% more new students. Comparisons amongst the 2016 mixed- and single-gender programs and between the 2015 and 2016 programs showed sustained effects for returning students, especially girls, and a greater 2016 impact for girls who participated in the 2015 single-gender program. A third year follow-up was conducted during the summer of 2017. Of the 25 girls who participated in the post-6th grade program, 10 of them had previously attended the post-4th grade and post 5th grade programs during the summers of 2015 and 2016 respectively. An additional 5 girls attended the post 5th grade program during the summer of 2016. In addition to repeating the same follow-up evaluation(s) performed in 2016, with further positive results, parents of returning students were asked to respond to a survey regarding their child’s school performance and interest in a STEM career. Eighty-three percent of the parents whose daughter had previously attended the female-only program for either one or two summers reported that her grades in mathematics and science had improved and 96% reported that she had expressed an interest in further STEM studies since attending the previous summer.

Citation
Format

Hirsch, L. S. (2018, June), The Effectiveness of a Multi-year Engineering Enrichment Paper presented at 2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--31090

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Prior research comparing aspects of single-gender (female-only &amp; male-only) summer enrichment programs to equivalent mixed-gender programs found female-only programs to be effective in educating young girls about engineering, positively influencing their perceptions of engineers and attitudes toward engineering as a career, with mixed results. A more recent examination of gains in content knowledge, self-efficacy, beliefs about gender equity and qualitative perceptions of engineers using the Middle School Attitudes toward Engineering, Knowledge of Engineering Careers Survey and the Draw an Engineer Test in equivalent post-4th grade, 2015 summer programs found significantly positive results; females in the single-gender program showed greater improvement in engineering content knowledge than females in a mixed-gender program, as well as significant increases in self-efficacy and perceptions that women can be engineers. 
     Each program accepts 25 students each summer, with priority given to returning students. A follow-up study was conducted during the summer of 2016 to determine if changes in girls’ attitudes towards engineering, perceptions of engineers and gains in content knowledge were sustained. A majority of the students who participated during 2015 returned for the post-5th grade program in 2016 with 50% more new students. Comparisons amongst the 2016 mixed- and single-gender programs and between the 2015 and 2016 programs showed sustained effects for returning students, especially girls, and a greater 2016 impact for girls who participated in the 2015 single-gender program. 
     A third year follow-up was conducted during the summer of 2017. Of the 25 girls who participated in the post-6th grade program, 10 of them had previously attended the post-4th grade and post 5th grade programs during the summers of 2015 and 2016 respectively. An additional 5 girls attended the post 5th grade program during the summer of 2016. In addition to repeating the same follow-up evaluation(s) performed in 2016, with further positive results, parents of returning students were asked to respond to a survey regarding their child’s school performance and interest in a STEM career.  Eighty-three percent of the parents whose daughter had previously attended the female-only program for either one or two summers reported that her grades in mathematics and science had improved and 96% reported that she had expressed an interest in further STEM studies since attending the previous summer.  

AU  - Linda S Hirsch
CY  - Salt Lake City, Utah
DA  - 2018/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - The Effectiveness of a Multi-year Engineering Enrichment 
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/31090
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--31090
ER  -