1. Black Male Engineering Transfer Students: A Critical Exploration of Their Pathways, Racial Identities, and Mathematical Identities
- Author
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Qaqish, Olgha Bassam
- Abstract
This qualitative narrative study critically explores the pathways, racial identities, and mathematical identities of the transfer experiences of black male engineering students. Thirteen engineering students between the ages of 21 and 25+ were purposely selected for semi-structured interviews. The participants transferred from various community colleges to a four-year engineering program. This study obtains complementary data from online demographic surveys, researcher observation guide, memos, and field notes. The following research questions guided the study: 1) what are the experiences of black male engineering students who transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions?; 2) how do personal, social, and environmental factors shape the transfer experiences of black male engineering students who attend four-year institutions?; and 3) how do racial and mathematical identities shape the transfer experiences of black male engineering students who attend four-year institutions? The researcher used the constant comparative method to analyze and interpret data, which resulted in several findings. First, the journeys that black male students undergo during their transfer experiences includes successfully navigating the community college transfer application process, engaging with complex engineering coursework, experiencing positive support from family and friends, becoming an engineering student, and making dreams possible in engineering. All these elements must be considered when defining the overall social and academic experience. Second, factors shaping the transfer experiences include social structures that impact engineering student success, enhancing knowledge through communities of practice, and applying knowledge to engineering grand challenges. Furthermore, the students' identity awareness evolves from their racial identity development, their developing engineering identity, middle and high school academic experiences in mathematics, and their post-secondary academic experiences in mathematics and engineering. Three conclusions were drawn from the findings. First, students' academic and social experiences revolve around the socialization process that leads to the development of their engineering mindsets. Second, collaborative and mentoring interactions within engineering communities of practice foster the development of their engineering mindsets and complex problem-solving. Third, positive racial and mathematical identities influence the educational participation of engineering transfer students in a positive way. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
- Published
- 2018