"Good at Math": Identity and Positioning Among Undergraduate Latinx Engineering/Computer Science Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Navigating Identities and Positionings in STEM

Abstract

This study draws on two years of ethnographic data collection to examine the key influences shaping the decision of Latinx undergraduates to pursue engineering and Computer Science (E&CS). The study took place at a large, public Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) on the Mexico-US border and included 27 Latinx E&CS seniors who were tracked through one year post-graduation. Our analysis draws on Holland et al’s (1998) framework of “figured worlds” to uncover the narrative identities of students in relation to their decision to pursue E&CS. Specifically, we found that students were positioned as “good at math” and “smart” by key authority figures such as family and teachers, and these positionings ultimately impacted their decision to pursue E&CS.

Authors

• Erika L. Mein, The University of Texas - El Paso

• Alberto Esquinca, San Diego State University

• Helena Mucino-Guerra, University of Texas - El Paso

• Lidia Herrera-Rocha, The University of Texas - El Paso