WIP Unseen: Examining the Link Between Disability Status and Students’ Sense of Belonging in Undergraduate Engineering

Candice Wicker Bolding (CJ); Robert M O'Hara

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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 in Engineering: Uncovering Challenges and Championing Change in STEM Education
Tagged Divisions: Equity and Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/48280

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Robert earned his PhD in Learning Sciences at Clemson University. His research interests lie at the intersection of structured learning environments, sense of belonging, and academic confidence in undergraduate engineering students. He currently serves as a lecturer for the Department of Psychology at Clemson University. His teaching area are statistics and research methods.

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Abstract

Over the past few decades there has been a growing interest in understanding the individual and systemic factors that positively and/or negatively impact the educational experiences and outcomes of underrepresented students in engineering. Students of color, women, and students with disabilities (SwD) often face barriers and challenges within engineering programs (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016). In turn, these experiences shape their educational and psychosocial outcomes, often in ways that differ from their overrepresented peers (i.e., white men). Interestingly, while there is a robust collection of literature that examines the experiences and factors that impact outcomes for women and students of color pursuing undergraduate degrees in engineering, there is scant literature that focuses on SwD (Lee, 2014). Additionally, while current engineering education research provides insight on the effects that environmental factors (e.g., faculty language in the classroom) and individual psychosocial factors (e.g., sense of belonging) have on the experiences and outcomes for undergraduate engineering students, few studies have examined these specifically among SwD. This lack of research is problematic, as there continues to be increased enrollment of SwD in postsecondary engineering programs, but the number of these students completing engineering degrees remain low compared to their non-disabled peers (NSF, 2019).

Sense of belonging among engineering undergraduates, that is feeling accepted and connected at one’s institution, and within one’s major and courses, is a critical component that impacts students’ success and persistence (Freeman et al2007; O’Hara et al., 2020; Strayhorn, 2012; Tinto, 2017; Wilson et al., 2005). Engineering students who report low sense of belonging are more likely to switch out of engineering into other non-STEM disciplines (Benson et al., 2018; Seymour & Hewitt 1997; Walden & Trytten, 2007). Interestingly, much of the literature that focuses on the sense of belonging of underrepresented groups in postsecondary engineering is centered on minority students and women, while SwD are often not discussed (Groen, 2018; Vaccaro et al., 2015).

As research continues to demonstrate the connections between students’ sense of belonging, academic, and social outcomes it becomes increasingly important to examine potential links between disability status and sense of belonging. Coupled with the understanding that students with disabilities are enrolling in postsecondary STEM programs at rates similar to their nondisabled peers (NSF, 2019), this study explores the link between disability status and sense of belonging as part of a larger research project investigating student outcomes of engineering undergraduate students. This preliminary work is guided by the following research question: is there a link between disability status and undergraduate engineering students’ sense of belonging? Study results and implications for practice and recommendations for future research will be presented in the full conference paper.

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Bolding (CJ), C. W., & O'Hara, R. M. (2024, June), WIP Unseen: Examining the Link Between Disability Status and Students’ Sense of Belonging in Undergraduate Engineering Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48280

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Over the past few decades there has been a growing interest in understanding the individual and systemic factors that positively and/or negatively impact the educational experiences and outcomes of underrepresented students in engineering. Students of color, women, and students with disabilities (SwD) often face barriers and challenges within engineering programs (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016). In turn, these experiences shape their educational and psychosocial outcomes, often in ways that differ from their overrepresented peers (i.e., white men). Interestingly, while there is a robust collection of literature that examines the experiences and factors that impact outcomes for women and students of color pursuing undergraduate degrees in engineering, there is scant literature that focuses on SwD (Lee, 2014). Additionally, while current engineering education research provides insight on the effects that environmental factors (e.g., faculty language in the classroom) and individual psychosocial factors (e.g., sense of belonging) have on the experiences and outcomes for undergraduate engineering students, few studies have examined these specifically among SwD. This lack of research is problematic, as there continues to be increased enrollment of SwD in postsecondary engineering programs, but the number of these students completing engineering degrees remain low compared to their non-disabled peers (NSF, 2019).

Sense of belonging among engineering undergraduates, that is feeling accepted and connected at one’s institution, and within one’s major and courses, is a critical component that impacts students’ success and persistence (Freeman et al2007; O’Hara et al., 2020; Strayhorn, 2012; Tinto, 2017; Wilson et al., 2005). Engineering students who report low sense of belonging are more likely to switch out of engineering into other non-STEM disciplines (Benson et al., 2018; Seymour &amp;amp; Hewitt 1997; Walden &amp;amp; Trytten, 2007). Interestingly, much of the literature that focuses on the sense of belonging of underrepresented groups in postsecondary engineering is centered on minority students and women, while SwD are often not discussed (Groen, 2018; Vaccaro et al., 2015).

As research continues to demonstrate the connections between students’ sense of belonging, academic, and social outcomes it becomes increasingly important to examine potential links between disability status and sense of belonging. Coupled with the understanding that students with disabilities are enrolling in postsecondary STEM programs at rates similar to their nondisabled peers (NSF, 2019), this study explores the link between disability status and sense of belonging as part of a larger research project investigating student outcomes of engineering undergraduate students. This preliminary work is guided by the
 following research question: is there a link between disability status and undergraduate engineering students’ sense of belonging? Study results and implications for practice and recommendations for future research will be presented in the full conference paper.	


AU  - Candice  Wicker Bolding (CJ)
AU  - Robert M O'Hara
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - WIP Unseen: Examining the Link Between Disability Status and Students’ Sense of Belonging in Undergraduate Engineering
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/48280
ER  -

WIP Unseen: Examining the Link Between Disability Status and Students’ Sense of Belonging in Undergraduate Engineering

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Candice Wicker Bolding (CJ) Clemson University

Robert M O'Hara Clemson University orcid.org/0000-0001-7004-0487

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