Informal community spaces, mentoring and representation: unpacking factors that influence African American engineering undergraduates

Tuladhar, Anu; Queener, Carin; Mondisa, Joi‐Lynn; Okwudire, Chinedum E.

doi:10.1108/ijmce-06-2020-0032

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(61 reference statements)

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“…Other researchers have also highlighted that attention from professors and mentors may be contributors to student motivation to pursue and persist in graduate programs (Maton and Hrabowski, 2004;McGee, 2016). Our work also supports scholarship that highlights the importance of representation to the success of Black male engineering students and extends this idea to consider the meaningfulness of representation at the graduate level (Tuladhar et al, 2021).…”

Section: Alignment With Previous Worksupporting

confidence: 80%

It’s a Vibe: understanding the graduate school experiences of Black male engineering faculty

Henderson

Davis

Benjamin

et al. 2022

JME

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Purpose In spite of ongoing and recent initiatives aimed at broadening participation in engineering, the representation of diverse groups of learners in engineering graduate programs in the USA remains a challenge. Foregrounding the voices of 26 Black male engineering faculty, this study aims to investigate how institutions might recruit and retain more Black men in engineering graduate programs. Design/methodology/approach For this study, inductive thematic analysis was used. Findings The authors show that three themes, namely, representation as an asset, invested mentors and faculty, and supportive peer networks described as the “Vibe” manifest as crucial elements for successful recruitment and retention of Black men in engineering graduate programs. Originality/value These findings are meant to augment the conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion in engineering graduate programs and to address a dearth of published research on the Black male engineering population. This work is also meant to help institutions conceptualize ways to create a “Vibe” that might be transferable to their institution’s sociocultural context.

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Section: Alignment With Previous Worksupporting

confidence: 80%

It’s a Vibe: understanding the graduate school experiences of Black male engineering faculty

Henderson

Davis

Benjamin

et al. 2022

JME

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“…Mentoring programmes promote the success of racially minoritised students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at the undergraduate and graduate levels, often by serving as a protective, communal buffer within predominantly white institutions (PWIs) of higher education (Maton et al, 2009;Rudolph, 2019;Wilson et al, 2012). Research documents the complex experiences of students of colour finding connections in mentoring programmes whilst also facing a generally unwelcoming environment within PWIs (Tuladhar et al, 2021), such as being negatively stereotyped by faculty or excluded by peers outside of the mentoring programme (G amez et al, 2022;McGee, 2016). Indeed, the support received in a mentoring programme may serve as an exception rather than the behavioural norm for people of colour within STEM fields (O'Meara et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, 2012). Research documents the complex experiences of students of colour finding connections in mentoring programmes whilst also facing a generally unwelcoming environment within PWIs (Tuladhar et al. , 2021), such as being negatively stereotyped by faculty or excluded by peers outside of the mentoring programme (Gámez et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking stock of campus mentoring ecosystems: a peer assessment dialogue exercise

Packard,

Montgomery,

Mondisa

2023

IJMCE

Self Cite

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PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of multiple campus teams as they engaged in the assessment of their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) mentoring ecosystems within a peer assessment dialogue exercise.Design/methodology/approachThis project utilized a qualitative multicase study method involving six campus teams, drawing upon completed inventory and visual mapping artefacts, session observations and debriefing interviews. The campuses included research universities, small colleges and minority-serving institutions (MSIs) across the United States of America. The authors analysed which features of the peer assessment dialogue exercise scaffolded participants' learning about ecosystem synergies and threats.FindingsThe results illustrated the benefit of instructor modelling, intra-team process time and multiple rounds of peer assessment. Participants gained new insights into their own campuses and an increased sense of possibility by dialoguing with peer campuses.Research limitations/implicationsThis project involved teams from a small set of institutions, relying on observational and self-reported debriefing data. Future research could centre perspectives of institutional leaders.Practical implicationsThe authors recommend dedicating time to the institutional assessment of mentoring ecosystems. Investing in a campus-wide mentoring infrastructure could align with campus equity goals.Originality/valueIn contrast to studies that have focussed solely on programmatic outcomes of mentoring, this study explored strategies to strengthen institutional mentoring ecosystems in higher education, with a focus on peer assessment, dialogue and learning exercises.

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“…, 2018), program satisfaction (Tram et al. , 2020), sense of belonging (Tuladhar et al. , 2021), and both college and life satisfaction (Castellanos et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gaps in persistence from undergraduate into graduate programs continue to exist between URMU students and their racially privileged peers (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2021), demonstrating a need for ongoing support to help close these gaps. Mentorship has proven to be an effective form of support, contributing to URMU students' feelings of academic efficacy and identity (Estrada et al, 2018), program satisfaction (Tram et al, 2020), sense of belonging (Tuladhar et al, 2021), and both college and life satisfaction (Castellanos et al, 2016). Research mentorship, more specifically, has also proven impactful for underrepresented undergraduates in fields outside of education, particularly for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mentoring underrepresented racially minoritized undergraduate students in an education research apprenticeship program: strategies for success

Hankerson

Williams

2023

IJMCE

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PurposeThis study examined the characteristics of research mentors that successfully support underrepresented racially minoritized undergraduate (URMU) students in education research.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study approach was employed to gain insight into the characteristics. The data sources used to inform this study included surveys and artifacts from eight URMU students who participated in a national grant-funded research apprenticeship fellowship program.FindingsResults revealed three key findings about the characteristics that research mentors need to possess to successfully support URMU students in education research. These characteristics include a willingness to (1) invest time and effort in the mentor–mentee relationship, (2) share relevant knowledge and expertise about education research and (3) serve as sponsors to support and promote their mentees' educational research goals and endeavors.Practical implicationsThe results have the potential to improve the quality of successful research mentorship opportunities for URMU students in education research by demonstrating the qualities and importance of these mentoring relationships. Higher quality mentoring relationships have the power to encourage URMU students to persist into graduate school and/or the education research profession via knowledge sharing, support and social capital. This is particularly important as education research – which still largely privileges Eurocentric research perspectives and methods – continues to take much needed steps toward racial and cultural diversity.Originality/valueMost undergraduate research mentorship literature – and especially that literature highlighting the needs of URMU students – focuses on students in STEM, leaving gaps in knowledge related to students in education research. By focusing on the latter, this study seeks to extend our knowledge of the research mentorship needs of URMU students in education research.

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Informal community spaces, mentoring and representation: unpacking factors that influence African American engineering undergraduates

Cited by 6 publications

References 51 publications

It’s a Vibe: understanding the graduate school experiences of Black male engineering faculty

It’s a Vibe: understanding the graduate school experiences of Black male engineering faculty

Taking stock of campus mentoring ecosystems: a peer assessment dialogue exercise

Mentoring underrepresented racially minoritized undergraduate students in an education research apprenticeship program: strategies for success

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