ERIC Number: EJ1311642
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Oct
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1069-4730
EISSN: N/A
A Need for Engagement Opportunities and Personal Connections: Understanding the Social Community Outcomes of Engineering Undergraduates in a Mentoring Program
Journal of Engineering Education, v110 n4 p902-924 Oct 2021
Background: Social community may play a role in how successful undergraduate engineering mentoring programs are in increasing diversity, retention rates, and graduation rates. However, there is minimal research about how mentoring programs influence the development of the social community outcomes of connectedness, satisfaction, social capital, resilience, and communities of practice, or whether these outcomes differ among demographic groups. Purpose: This work examines the social community outcomes of undergraduate engineering mentoring program participants and makes recommendations for programs based on participant experiences and outcomes. Methods: In this exploratory multi-methods study, we use quantitative and qualitative methods to examine social community among participants in a mentoring program for undergraduate engineering students. More specifically, we administered a survey and conducted interviews to examine the five social community outcomes among engineering undergraduate participants in the University of Michigan's Michigan Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (M-STEM) Academies. Survey results were evaluated for social community outcomes among demographic groups and a thematic analysis was performed on the interview responses. Results: Our findings indicate that: (1) female participants value their M-STEM connections differently from male participants; (2) program alumni engagement has a positive impact on current participants' social community outcomes; and (3) strategies for resilience vary based on sex and race. Conclusions: We recommend that mentoring programs offer face-to-face activities to help female participants develop stronger connections with other participants. Programs should also offer ways for program alumni to remain engaged with the program and continue to support younger mentoring program cohorts.
Descriptors: Learner Engagement, Undergraduate Students, Engineering Education, STEM Education, Mentors, Program Effectiveness, Communities of Practice, Sense of Community, Social Capital, Resilience (Psychology), Student Satisfaction, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Alumni
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Graduate Education (DGE)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Michigan
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1256260