Baltimore , Maryland
June 25, 2023
June 25, 2023
June 28, 2023
Mathematics Division (MATH)
Diversity
25
10.18260/1-2--44381
https://peer.asee.org/44381
396
Mary E. "Betsy" Lockhart, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on what factors influence diverse students to choose and persist in STEM. Particularly, she is interested in the development and cultivation of students' STEM identities and the potential protective element these identities have in student retention. Dr. Lockhart graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a B.S. in Mathematics and Psychology. She then graduated from Texas A&M University with a M.S. in Mathematics and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Research, Measurement and Statistics.
Karen E. Rambo-Hernandez is an associate professor at Texas A & M University in the College of Education and Human Development in the department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture. In her research, she is interested in the assessing STEM interventions on
Robin A. M. Hensel, Ed.D., is a Teaching Professor in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University and an ASEE Fellow Member. As a mathematician and computer systems analyst, she collaborated in engineering teams to support energy research before entering higher education where she taught mathematics, statistics, computer science, and engineering courses, secured over $5.5M to support STEM education research, led program development efforts, and served in several administrative roles. She has been recognized for her teaching, advising, service, and research and as an Exemplary Faculty Member for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
This work-in-progress research paper is at the early stages seeking to further understand the links between incoming engineering students’ mathematical preparation and their actual degree attainment in engineering. The importance of mathematical achievement and preparation to engineering persistence has long been studied. This investigation seeks to further enhance this research-base. A sample of 450 incoming engineering majors were divided onto three different engineering tracks by their university based upon their level of mathematics preparation: Engineering Track 1 (Calculus-ready), Engineering Track 2 (Calculus-ready with Precalculus review), and Engineering Track 3 (College Algebra ready). Demographic (e.g., gender) and psychosocial (e.g., engineering identity) variables were measured for all students upon college entrance. Satisfactory indicator variables (e.g., cumulative GPA, cumulative credit hours earned, major selection) were gathered and tracked throughout the students’ collegiate tenure — including their graduating college major. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-squared tests, One-way ANOVAs, and t-tests were utilized in this investigation as appropriate. First, the relationship between the engineering tracks to actual degree attainment in engineering was confirmed — supporting the importance of engineering students’ mathematical preparation to their degree persistence. Next, demographic and psychosocial profiles of each of the engineering tracks were created and compared to investigate potential differences between the tracks. Demographical consistency between the tracks was noted. In examination of the psychosocial profiles of the tracks, a social cognitive career theorist (SCCT) perspective was further utilized — investigating levels of engineering identity, engineering self-efficacy and engineering outcome expectations for each track. Notably, levels of engineering identity differed widely between the tracks. Upon closer inspection of each individual track, engineering identity again played an important role. Interestingly, students in Engineering Track 3 who attained a degree in engineering boasted the highest level of engineering identity across all subgroups within the sample. Moreover, the greatest difference in engineering identity between students who persisted to degree attainment and those who did not was also found in Engineering Track 3. Preliminary results indicate suitable rationale to further situate engineering identity within the SCCT framework and investigate its direct impact upon engineering degree attainment and potential mediating role in the relationship between mathematics preparation and engineering degree attainment. Feedback from the research community regarding the findings of this study and its future directions are desired.
Lockhart, M. E., & Hakim, N., & Chilukuri, V., & Champagne, J., & Rambo-Hernandez, K. E., & Hensel, R. A. (2023, June), Work in Progress: Uncovering Links between Mathematical Preparation and Engineering Persistence Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44381
ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2023 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015