Leveraging Epistemic Exclusion as a Lens for Investigating Black Engineering Students' Undergraduate Research Experiences: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Session 5
  In Roundtable Session: Epistemic Exclusion, Teaming, and First-Generation Student Experiences in Engineering Education (Table 1)

Abstract

Existing scholarship on epistemic exclusion theorizes that individual biases and institutional practices can contribute to scholarly devaluation. While most literature on epistemic exclusion focuses on historically marginalized faculty, what is less understood is the extent to which it happens in undergraduate research experiences (UREs), an earlier level of research training. If we hope UREs will lead to broadening participation in engineering, there is a need to better understand the extent to which epistemic exclusion manifests in Black engineering students' UREs. The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study is to examine Black engineering students' experiences with epistemic exclusion in undergraduate research experiences. Such insights can help identify ways to replace exclusionary practices in UREs with inclusive ones.

Author

• Julia Machele Brisbane, Virginia Tech