Examining the Importance of Noncognitive and Affective (NCA) Factors for Engineering Student Success

Abstract

is a fourth-year Ph.D Candidate and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in the Purdue University Engineering Education Program. As an undergraduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), Justin completed Bachelor's degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Secondary Mathematics Education with an informal emphasis in engineering education. Through his involvement in the UNR PRiDE Research Lab and engagement with the UNR and Northern Nevada STEM Education communities, he studied student motivation, active learning, and diversity; developed K-12 engineering education curriculum; and advocated for socioeconomically just access to STEM education. As a Ph.D. Candidate with the STRiDE Research Lab at Purdue University, Justin's dissertation research focuses on the study of Intersectionality Theory and the intersectionality of socioeconomic inequality in engineering education, use of critical quantitative methodology and narrative inquiry to understand the complex stories of engineering students from traditionally minoritized backgrounds, and the pursuit of a socioeconomically just engineering education.

Potential of a Values Affirmation Intervention for Marginalized Gender Students’ Belonging and Recognition

“…The survey consisted of seven measures assessing belonging in engineering, engineering interest, engineering recognition, test anxiety, and three aspects of future time perspective (instrumentality, perceptions of the future, and expectancy; the full list of items is provided in Appendix 1). These items were a subset of the larger survey used in the SUCCESS project which this intervention was a part of [21], and were selected based on previous research that indicated them as variables of interest [22], [23]. Our measure of belonging was adapted from the Measures of Belonging in Higher Education scale [24] and consisted of four items asking about participants' comfort and belonging in engineering and their engineering classes.…”