"My Family Is Like, 'You Should Be an Engineer'": Engineer Identity Formation for Black Youth

• In Event: Diversity and Representation: Experiences That Support Effective Engineering Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study is part of a larger project to develop a summer camp to promote engineering as a career field that would align with the interests and career goals of African American students in grades 8-10 who live in an urban, low-income area. Before and after the camp, we asked about the students’ career aspirations and experiences with engineering so far. This paper reports our findings on how this sample of students, all of whom were African American students in grades 8-10 in the target region, expressed their career identity and expectations for the future both before and after the camp experience. We used an emergent qualitative analytical approach to identify salient topics and trends in the interviews.

Authors

• Margaret E. Mastrogiovanni, Dallas Independent School District

• Joni M. Lakin, University of Alabama

• Edward Davis, Auburn University

• Daniela Marghitu, Auburn University

• Virginia Davis, Auburn University