The "Modeling IT Career Choices of Persons with Disabilities: The Case of Military Personnel and Veterans" award is a Broadening Participation Research project designed to advance understanding of the factors that influence the entrance into, and persistence in, postsecondary information technology (IT) degree programs by disabled military personnel and veterans with disabilities. Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University and Washington State University are working together to explores interest in choosing a career in the IT field as a function of: perceptions about the skills and knowledge needed to be successful as an IT professional; gender stereotypes about IT skills and knowledge; perceptions about occupational roles of persons with disabilities; relative importance placed on various aspects of one's own identity regarding gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic class and disability; one's feeling of self-confidence regarding the ability to possess the skills and knowledge needed in the IT profession; and role congruity between perceived gender and occupational roles, and IT roles.
The overarching research questions that are being examined in the study are the following: 1. Is there congruity between perceived IT roles and gender roles for military personnel and veterans with disability? 2. Is there congruity between perceived IT roles and occupational roles for military personnel and veterans with disability? 3. How do gender roles, IT roles and occupational roles combined with individual identity and self-efficacy affect IT career choices for disabled military personnel and veterans with disability?
A comprehensive survey data instrument was designed and developed by the research team and has undergone rigorous validity and reliability testing; it includes new scales for disability identity and for the occupational role of persons with disabilities. Data are being collected from participants recruited from The Pennsylvania State University, Washington State University, San Diego State University and Columbia College, in Columbia Missouri. Data are being collected from subjects using web-surveys and is being analyzed using a variety of statistical techniques corresponding to the use of latent variable modeling.
This project will be evaluated by an independent evaluator, Dr. Jennifer LeBeau, and the evaluation will include formative and summative assessments.
Results are expected to advance the STEM education field's knowledge about the factors influencing the selection of IT fields by students with disabilities. More specifically the work will provide a better understanding of those psycho-social variables affecting disabled military personnel and veterans with disabilities choice of IT fields. Additionally, findings from this work will inform role congruity and "individual differences" theories as they relate to disability and gender. There is strong potential for findings from this research to advance STEM education practices and policies for students with disabilities.
