Belonging as a Predictor of First-Year Engineering Students' Interest and Career Intentions

• In Event: 66.059 - Poster Session 14
  In Poster Session: 66.059-5 - Poster Session 1: Motivational Processes

Abstract

The current study examines how three facets of belonging (i.e., belonging with peers, professors, and the College of Engineering) contribute to students’ interest and career intentions in engineering, thereby informing programmatic efforts to increase retention. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed the differential relations among the types of belonging, students’ individual interest in engineering, and intent to pursue an engineering career. Surprisingly, neither main effects nor interaction effects emerged based on students’ gender or first-generation status, indicating that belonging may be equally important for everyone. Results suggest that feelings of belonging to the College of Engineering are most important for sustaining students’ engineering interest and career intentions during the first year of college, while belonging with professors is the least important.

Authors

• Emily Bovee, Michigan State University

• Kristy A. Robinson, Michigan State University

• You-kyung Lee, Sookmyung Women's University

• S. Patrick Walton, Michigan State University

• Daina Briedis, Michigan State University

• Lisa Linnenbrink-Garcia, Michigan State University