A Framework to Understand Engineering Identity Development and the Success of Women's Participation on Competitive Project Teams

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate undergraduate women participating on collegiate extracurricular competitive project teams (PT) in comparison to non-project team (non-PT) female students. The study determined that PT participation significantly leads to an increase in engineering identity development and enrollment in non-traditional majors for women. A five-year retrospective study on PT participants was conducted to analyze participation and draw conclusions for ethnically underrepresented and first-generation (FGEn) populations. Cumulative GPA was used to evaluate differences in academic identity between PT, non-PT female, and college of engineering (COE) populations. A forced Likert survey was designed to determine other factors that influence engineering identity formation between cohorts. A full-factorial analysis of survey data found that the strength of “risk-taking” and “making mistakes” covariates were higher in PT participants than non-PT females (p<.05). Information from the data analysis was used to develop a Causal Loop Model (CLM) and Event Tree Analysis for women’s participation and success on competitive project teams.