The objective of this proposal is to initiate research on how activities in three engineering summer camps for middle school students lead to a change in interest in engineering. This proposal also explores how engineering identity (i.e. whether students identify themselves as becoming engineers) of these students is linked to the pursuit of engineering as a major in college and as a possible future career. Middle school is a critical time in a student's life that frames student thinking about future career choices. It is important that at this age students have accurate information about different career opportunities. The middle school students participating in this study are enrolled in three separate engineering summer camps: (1) Introduction to engineering summer camp, (2) First-generation engineering summer camp, and (3) Young women in engineering summer camp. The camps are identical in content and are designed with the goal of increasing the understanding of different fields of engineering and engineering careers. Research on interest and identity related to engineering is just beginning to emerge and those studies that exist are very diverse in scope and results. This proposal fills some of the gaps in knowledge that exist, specifically on the impact of engineering summer camps on the identity and interest development of middle school students from three separate populations. The project also identifies which camp activities are most impactful on identity and interest in engineering with the goal of developing an intervention technique for inclusiveness in the engineering profession.
The main objective of this mixed methods research study is answering three research questions for the three populations: (1) How strongly are engineering identity and interest linked to the pursuit of engineering as a major in college and as a possible future career? (2) Which specific activities in the summer camps lead to a change in identity and interest in engineering? (3) To what extent and in what ways do the qualitative participant focus group interviews and observations of participants engaged in camp activities addressing research question #2 contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the quantitative data obtained via pre- and post-surveys addressing research question #1? The results will be used to impact STEM Programs in the greater Northern Nevada region and extending to counties in Southern Nevada and Northern California through the established contacts of the College of Engineering outreach programs and K-12 community. Results will also reach national audiences via the Women in Engineering ProActive Network, the Society of Women Engineers, Mentornet, and presentations to engineering education researchers at American Society of Engineering Education conferences.
