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Background: It is well known that earning a bachelor's degree in engineering is a demanding task, but ripe with opportunity. For students from historically excluded demographic groups, this task is exacerbated by oppressive circumstances. Although considerable research has documented how student outcomes differ across demographic groups, much less is known about the dynamic processes that marginalize some students. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to propose a conceptual model of student navigation in the context of undergraduate engineering programs. Our goal is to illustrate how localized, structural features unjustly shape the demands and opportunities encountered by students and influence how they respond. Scope/Method: We developed our model using an iterative, four-stage process. This process included (1) "clarifying" the purpose of the development process; (2) "identifying" concepts and insights from prior research; (3) "synthesizing" the concepts and insights into propositions; and (4) "visualizing" the suspected relationships between the salient constructs in the propositions. Results: Our model focuses on the dynamic interactions between the characteristics of students, the embedded contexts in which they are situated, and the support infrastructure of their learning environment. Conclusion: The resulting model illustrates the influence of structural features on how students a) respond to demands and opportunities and b) navigate obstacles present in the learning environment. Although its focus is on marginalized students in undergraduate engineering programs, the model may be applicable to STEM higher education more broadly.

Background: Supporting undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been a persistent need. However, assessing the impact of support efforts can prove challenging as it is difficult to operationalize student support and subsequently monitor the combined impacts of the various supports to which students have access simultaneously. Purpose/Hypothesis: This paper describes the development of the STEM student perspectives of support instrument (STEM-SPSI) and explores how perceptions of student support constructs vary across engineering students. Design/Method: Following best practices for instrument development, forming the STEM-SPSI consisted of an iterative cycle of feedback from various STEM stakeholders and two rounds of pilot testing with students at multiple institutions. We employed factor analysis to identify student-support constructs and conduct validation procedures on the instrument. Results: Results suggest that student support can be conceptualized as a combination of 12 constructs. The STEM-SPSI can help engineering educators evaluate their student-support mechanisms at an academic-unit level. Conclusions: The practical contribution of the STEM-SPSI is to assist colleges in monitoring the extent to which their portfolio of support mechanisms is perceived as helpful by undergraduate students. This work makes a theoretical contribution to the model of cocurricular support that undergirds the instrument by producing empirical evidence for its constructs.

The experiences and strategies of women faculty serving in leadership roles is understudied in the field of engineering education. This study begins to document how women leaders in engineering education engage in leadership using the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network's (KEEN) Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM) as a lens. We conducted a thematic analysis of a series of artifacts associated with a workshop that aimed to generate conversation on leadership among a group of 14 women holding a variety of leadership positions in engineering education exploring how women leaders discussed their leadership roles. We also conducted in-depth interviews with 10 of the participants. We found that the women leaders in our study emphasized the importance of people in regard to connections. Within connections people were information sources to obtain insight and were considered when managing and assessing risks. The findings expand upon the current conception of connections as described iii the EM framework. As we increase our knowledge of women's experiences and strategies in leadership in engineering education. it will improve our ability to recommend methods for establishing, growing, and using connections within the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes Idaho State University's Partnership School Program, which educates preservice and inservice teachers about Native cultures, values, and ways of knowing, highlighting a public school on the Fort Hall Shoshone-Bannock Indian Reservation. By applying principles of constructivist teaching and collaboration as communities of learners, many changes have occurred in teachers' attitudes toward indigenous students, resulting in improved cultural understanding, more equitable education, positive community interactions, and greater teacher efficacy. (SM)

Determines the effectiveness of secondary final examination practices at Terre Haute South Vigo High School in Terre Haute, Indiana, a member of the Professional Development School program at Indiana State University, also in Terre Haute. Beliefs and practices in administering final examinations; Types and weight of final examinations administered; Impact of final examinations on graduates.