Work In Progress: Exploring the Impact of a Mentoring Structure on Female Persistence in Engineering

Olukemi Akintewe

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Mentoring, Case Study of Racial and Ethnic Diversity, Identity Dilemmas, Cultural Homelessness and Intersectionality, and Transfer Students
Tagged Division: Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44261
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44261
Download Count: 99

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Paper Authors

biography

Olukemi Akintewe University of South Florida

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Dr. Kemi Akintewe is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Medical Engineering and the Director of
the First-year Engineering Experiential learning at the University of South Florida (USF). Dr. Akintewe holds a Doctorate in Chemical Engineering from USF, a Master in Materials Science & Engineering from the Ohio State University, and her Bachelor in Chemical Engineering from the City College of New York. Her research focuses on STEM retention, mentoring, diversity and inclusion and active learning modalities that support students’ learning, classroom management
techniques, and best teaching practices. Dr. Akintewe’s teaching, mentoring, and academic efforts have received
recognition, including the Women in Leadership & Philanthropy, Kathleen Moore Faculty Excellence award, the USF STEER teaching scholars award, and the USF BMES chapter Faculty of the year award. Her mission is to teach, mentor and coach the next generation of students that succeed in STEM fields while promoting learning, diversity,
and leadership.

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Abstract

This Work in Progress paper describes a mentorship structure to support the professional formation of engineers that advance the science of mentorship, retention, diversity, and inclusive (DI) perspectives in engineering. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the overall persistence rate improved as first-time in college (FTIC) students declined sharply by 9.9% in 2021. The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) 2023 diversity and STEM reports show the representation of women reached 35% in 2021, a 3% increase from 2011 data. Though successes have been made in the past decade to increase the number of female students in STEM, their persistence rate is still low due to factors like lack of confidence, self-efficacy, and their definition of success. Mentoring plays an important role in college success depending on the mentor’s level of self-efficacy, cultural responsiveness, and the process for matching mentors to mentees (surface or deep-level similarities). An effective mentorship structure supports the mentee’s growth and development by using multiple mentors for academic, career, and psychosocial support functions. For the mentees, a buy-in on the mentor’s credibility is necessary to understand the mentor’s motivation for sharing information and experiences. Could similar social and cultural identities promote trustworthiness in female engineering students? For mentees from underrepresented and underserved populations, the social-psychological concept of a mentor’s credibility might be critical to hone from the onset of each mentoring relationship to foster a sense of expectancy and candidness that promotes retention. The FTIC population, especially women, experience culture shock and lack of mentorship. They struggle with their engineering identities, and most lack how to navigate higher education bureaucracy. This study investigates the impact of a guided mentoring relationship on female students’ academic progression in the college of engineering at the University of South Florida. FTIC female undergraduates are paired with third-year female peer mentors and are provided with structured discussions and modules that impact mentees learning and sociocultural awareness. It is anticipated that the study would reveal a possible pathway for increased persistence of females in STEM and DI practices and potentially help create a national systemic mentoring program that addresses academic disparities in STEM education for FTIC students alongside historically underrepresented and underserved populations.

Citation
Format

Akintewe, O. (2023, June), Work In Progress: Exploring the Impact of a Mentoring Structure on Female Persistence in Engineering Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44261

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - This Work in Progress paper describes a mentorship structure to support the professional formation of engineers that advance the science of mentorship, retention, diversity, and inclusive (DI) perspectives in engineering. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the overall persistence rate improved as first-time in college (FTIC) students declined sharply by 9.9% in 2021. The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) 2023 diversity and STEM reports show the representation of women reached 35% in 2021, a 3% increase from 2011 data. Though successes have been made in the past decade to increase the number of female students in STEM, their persistence rate is still low due to factors like lack of confidence, self-efficacy, and their definition of success. Mentoring plays an important role in college success depending on the mentor’s level of self-efficacy, cultural responsiveness, and the process for matching mentors to mentees (surface or deep-level similarities). An effective mentorship structure supports the mentee’s growth and development by using multiple mentors for academic, career, and psychosocial support functions. 
For the mentees, a buy-in on the mentor’s credibility is necessary to understand the mentor’s motivation for sharing information and experiences. Could similar social and cultural identities promote trustworthiness in female engineering students? For mentees from underrepresented and underserved populations, the social-psychological concept of a mentor’s credibility might be critical to hone from the onset of each mentoring relationship to foster a sense of expectancy and candidness that promotes retention. The FTIC population, especially women, experience culture shock and lack of mentorship. They struggle with their engineering identities, and most lack how to navigate higher education bureaucracy. This study investigates the impact of a guided mentoring relationship on female students’ academic progression in the college of engineering at the University of South Florida. FTIC female undergraduates are paired with third-year female peer mentors and are provided with structured discussions and modules that impact mentees learning and sociocultural awareness. It is anticipated that the study would reveal a possible pathway for increased persistence of females in STEM and DI practices and potentially help create a national systemic mentoring program that addresses academic disparities in STEM education for FTIC students alongside historically underrepresented and underserved populations.

AU  - Olukemi Akintewe
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Work In Progress: Exploring the Impact of a Mentoring Structure on Female Persistence in Engineering 
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/44261
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44261
ER  -