“I Need to Do Better”: The Promotion of Undergraduate Women's STEM Identity by Engineering Faculty

Abstract

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to explore the conceptual knowledge of engineering faculty regarding STEM identity and how they promote undergraduate women's STEM identity in the classroom. Interviews with faculty were grounded in Collins’ contextual model of Black student STEM identity and were analyzed inductively and deductively. Three themes emerged: (1) faculty are aware of STEM identity but cannot define it; (2) faculty passively promotes STEM identity in the classroom; and (3) faculty actively promote STEM identity through research, service, and mentorship. These findings shed light on the general commitment of engineering faculty to broaden and diversify participation in their field as well as the need for a greater understanding of the role faculty can play in stimulating the STEM identity of undergraduate women in the classroom, efforts that may translate into more women earning baccalaureate degrees in engineering.