Invisible innovators: how low-income, first-generation students use their funds of knowledge to belong in engineering

Smith, Jessica M.; Lucena, Juan

doi:10.1080/19378629.2016.1155593

Cited by 104 publications

(120 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…For several decades, one of the central concerns of STEM education literature has been the marginalization of underrepresented groups. Depending on the particular discipline, populations of concern have included underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, women, LGBT populations, students of low socioeconomic status, first‐generation college students, students with disabilities, and other populations (Cech & Waidzunas, ; Seymour & Hewitt, ; Smith & Lucena, ).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Supporting the Narrative Agency of a Marginalized Engineering Student

Secules

Gupta

Elby

et al. 2018

J of Engineering Edu

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Background Quantitative researchers have noted the impact of mentoring and support programming for students from underrepresented groups in engineering. Qualitative researchers have also noted the importance of student agency in persistence through marginalization. Nevertheless, challenges and questions remain in identifying practices which are effective in supporting underrepresented students. Purpose The study applies scholarship from critical theory and narrative as a new resource for approaching and understanding the process of supporting marginalized student agency. Method A longitudinal interview study with a female undergraduate engineering student, Emilia, developed into a way for her to process marginalizing educational experiences and to develop new narratives that expanded her agency. After an in‐depth member check, Emilia became a co‐author contributing a post hoc account of the impact of these discussions. Results Our analysis indicates that naming one's own oppression and creating narratives that repurpose and resituate stereotypical stories of oppression was a liberatory act for Emilia. We trace three marginalizing themes of the participant's experience that are subverted and resisted through the student co‐constructed narrative. Conclusions The paper builds theory for diversity support, suggesting critical theorizing may present a new form of agency not yet represented in the literature. It also points to possible value for student participants from qualitative methodologies exploring student experiences. Finally, it suggests supporting critical theorizing as a potential new orientation for diversity practitioners.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…LGBT populations, students of low socioeconomic status, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and other populations (Cech & Waidzunas, 2011;Seymour & Hewitt, 2000;Smith & Lucena, 2016).…”

Section: Support For Marginalized Students In Stemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supporting the Narrative Agency of a Marginalized Engineering Student

Secules

Gupta

Elby

et al. 2018

J of Engineering Edu

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“…These studies explored the measurement of engineering identity, in general, but did not examine if students from diverse backgrounds interpreted the questions the same as their majority counterparts. This present study is a first-step in examining how a diverse group of students, first-generation college students, not only differ in terms of lived experiences [9], but also in the way they identify as a an engineer.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing for measurement invariance in engineering identity constructs for first-generation college students

Verdín

Godwin

2017

2017 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)

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Abstract-This work-in-progress research study examines the response patterns of first-generation college students (FGCS) to the engineering identity measures compared to non-firstgeneration college students (non-FGCS). This work answers the following research question, "Do FGC and non-FGC engineering students interpret the engineering identity measurement items in a conceptually different manner?" We explore if FGCS respond to engineering identity items similarly to non-FGCS and the fairness of using these instruments for FGCS to make claims about this group. The data for this work are from a survey instrument completed by 2,916 first-year engineering college students from four U.S. institutions. We hypothesize that quantitative measures constructed for the general engineering student population (non-FGCS) may not function the same for a FGCS subpopulation in engineering. Using extensions to the confirmatory factor analysis, we tested for measurement invariance of engineering identity constructs between FGCS and non-FGCS. Our comparative analysis of FGCS and non-FGCS found weak measurement invariance within the engineering identity constructs (i.e. interest, recognition, and performance/competence) indicating a similar factor structure and factor loadings, but different uses of the identity item scale. This research raises questions on the use and fairness of normative measures in engineering education for populations that fall outside the majority engineering student population.

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“…3 Students also learn from real case studies of exemplary engineers who have practiced engineering for SJ, i.e., increasing resources and opportunities and decreasing risks and harms for the purposes of enhancing human capabilities, such as Transmilenio engineers in Bogota, Colombia 22 , engineers fighting against a community relocation in a mining site in Peru 23 , and LGBT 24 and low-income/first generation (LIFG) activist engineering students. 25 Students conclude the class by researching and presenting case studies of their own and then reflecting on the challenges and benefits of working as engineers for the enhancement of human capabilities from now on.…”

Section: Vehicles For Increasing the Visibility Of Social Justicementioning

confidence: 99%

Making the Invisible Visible: Integrating Engineering-for-Social-Justice Criteria in Humanities and Social Science Courses

Leydens¹,

Lucena²

2016 ASEE Annual Conference &Amp; Exposition Proceedings

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Invisible innovators: how low-income, first-generation students use their funds of knowledge to belong in engineering

Cited by 104 publications

References 24 publications

Supporting the Narrative Agency of a Marginalized Engineering Student

Supporting the Narrative Agency of a Marginalized Engineering Student

Testing for measurement invariance in engineering identity constructs for first-generation college students

Making the Invisible Visible: Integrating Engineering-for-Social-Justice Criteria in Humanities and Social Science Courses

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