Thank you for viewing our video! This video highlights some findings from two NSF projects that we've led focusing on the persistence of Latinx undergraduate students in engineering. To learn more about our work, please visit our project website at nsfengineerstudy.org.

We welcome any comments that you have about the video or the work we are doing. After viewing the videos, did any findings surprise you? We would be interested in hearing your perspective of the environmental factors that might play a role in the differences in engineering self-efficacy beliefs and perceived supports between Latinx engineering students attending predominantly White institutions and Hispanic serving institutions.

This was an excellent video. It’s interesting to see both the ways that supports over time can greatly affect Latino participation in engineering. It reminds me of a similar problem happening in the African American population. This is great work you are doing! In addition, I was amazed to see how much the Latino population is growing. It is vital that our nation grows to include underrepresented groups in order for all of us to prosper culturally and economically!

Tiffany--you are right.  There is more work that needs to be done to ensure that students from underrepresented groups in engineering--African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, and women--receive consistent support throughout their undergraduate training to increase the chances of retaining them in the field. This support needs to extend beyond the first year of college. Thank you for commenting on our work!

Great work! This video was excellent and underscores the important contribution the Latinx community can make in engineering and the sciences. By studying underrepresented groups we can impact the future of our country by understanding the barriers to access in engineering for Latinx students and how we can work to eliminate those barriers. Thanks to you and Dr. Navarro for the amazing work you are doing!

Thanks for your work in this area!  Can you identify some of the more successful supports that led to greater persistence for Latinas in engineering?  How did they differ from HSI to PSI?  Were there any correlations to parental educational pathways?  If engineers beget engineers, we will continue to get more white and Asian male engineers?  How can we break this self-fulfilling cycle?  What can Latinx families do to support and encourage their children to pursue engineering? And how can faculty and industry continue those supports?

Thanks for your video and your work!

In your project, how much effort are you giving to support for the students, and how much effort are you putting into changing the institution that is around them (faculty training, structural supports, etc)? Does one feel more important than the other?

Really fascinating, sustained work.  I was wondering about the diminishing coping efficacy & supports and increasing barriers reported by students at the HSIs over time.  Did participants suggest any reasons for this?  Were more supports provided earlier and withdrawn? Was looking ahead to a difficult career climate after graduation a factor?  Thanks.  Really enjoyed this. 

This video is so helpful to understand your research - gracias! I'm curious what you're finding in terms of what kind of support at Time 1 might counteract the increase in perceived barriers and decrease in perceived supports. It seems like the contexts get increasingly difficult and we have to provide training and supports for Engineering schools/departments to enhance their climate and support offered. Also, did you study/find any gender differences? I look forward to hearing more about this project!

Great project, and great video! I was wondering if you also included some questions regarding their K-12 experience in STEM? How that might play a role in their perception and self-efficacy? This might be beyond your study.

Thanks, Meltem!  We gathered information about pre-college STEM programs that are designed to prepare high school students for college. One of our GRAs on the project is currently analyzing this data for his dissertation to see if involvement in these programs is related to social cognitions, supports, and barriers while in college. Are there other types of K-12 experiences that you would be interested in us learning about in future studies? 

Such an interesting video! Can you share little about how family is engaged as a support for Latinx students in PWIs? What are some best practices or lessons learned around family engagement that you can share from your work? Thank you!

Great Video! Really fascinating work.  I was particularly struck by your findings about the differing needs of Latinx students at PWIs  vs. HSIs.  I think I understand what support might look like. I was wondering about self-efficacy.  Are there any strategies for bolstering self-efficacy?  Also at PWIs my guess is that a strong majority of the faculty is White. Do you have any thoughts about how White faculty might better support self-efficacy in Latinx students (other than hoping that faculty of color will take care of it)?

Great Video! Really fascinating work.  I was particularly struck by your findings about the differing needs of Latinx students at PWIs  vs. HSIs.  I think I understand what support might look like. I was wondering about self-efficacy.  Are there any strategies for bolstering self-efficacy?  Also at PWIs my guess is that a strong majority of the faculty is White. Do you have any thoughts about how White faculty might better support self-efficacy in Latinx students (other than hoping that faculty of color will take care of it)?

Great Video! Really fascinating work.  I was particularly struck by your findings about the differing needs of Latinx students at PWIs  vs. HSIs.  I think I understand what support might look like. I was wondering about self-efficacy.  Are there any strategies for bolstering self-efficacy?  Also at PWIs my guess is that a strong majority of the faculty is White. Do you have any thoughts about how White faculty might better support self-efficacy in Latinx students (other than hoping that faculty of color will take care of it)?

Great Video! Really fascinating work.  I was particularly struck by your findings about the differing needs of Latinx students at PWIs  vs. HSIs.  I think I understand what support might look like. I was wondering about self-efficacy.  Are there any strategies for bolstering self-efficacy?  Also at PWIs my guess is that a strong majority of the faculty is White. Do you have any thoughts about how White faculty might better support self-efficacy in Latinx students (other than hoping that faculty of color will take care of it)?

Hi,

What a great video! I'm glad the research demonstrates the importance of supporting engineering students at each stage in their college career. I was wondering how you demonstrate your findings to the faculty and administration at the colleges you researched. Our Bystander Leadership Program is a one-day workshop for faculty to educate them on issues like implicit bias, and we've found that one of the most effective aspects of the program is that we present our findings in theater format.

Thanks for your comment, Ashley!  Theater format--do you use interactive theater?  This sounds like a very creative way to inform faculty about your research findings. We have used traditional methods for disseminating information--via in person presentations, webinars, and reports. We have also shared this video with them. 

This is an excellent video! Thank you for your work in increasing our nuanced understanding of Latinx students at both PWIs and HSIs. As we work to broaden participation in STEM, these findings will certainly be useful in informing interventions and policy efforts. I'm curious as to whether there were any intersectional examinations of gender differences as it relates to Latinx women. Thank you!

Thank you, Kerrie!  We did not find differences in the associations that we were examining across Latina women and Latino men. The main differences that emerged in our analyses to date are between Latinx students across PWIs and HSIs, as well as racial differences between Latinx and White students attending PWIs.