1. (Un)equal Demands and Opportunities: Conceptualizing Student Navigation in Undergraduate Engineering Programs
- Author
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Lee, Walter C., Hall, Janice L., Josiam, Malini, and Pee, Crystal M.
- Abstract
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.
- Published
- 2023
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