Black Engineering Students' Motivation for PhD Attainment: Passion Plus Purpose

Autor/inn/en	McGee, Ebony O.; White, Devin T.; Jenkins, Akailah T.; Houston, Stacey; Bentley, Lydia C.; Smith, William J.; Robinson, William H.
Titel	Black Engineering Students' Motivation for PhD Attainment: Passion Plus Purpose
Quelle	In: Journal for Multicultural Education, 10 (2016) 2, S.167-193 (27 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2053-535X
DOI	10.1108/JME-01-2016-0007
Schlagwörter	African American Students; Student Motivation; Doctoral Degrees; Educational Attainment; Engineering Education; Graduate Students; Influences; STEM Education; Interviews; Focus Groups + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? African Americans; Student; Students; Afroamerikaner; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Schulische Motivation; Doctoral degree; Doktorgrad; Bildungsabschluss; Bildungsgut; Ingenieurausbildung; Graduate Study; Aufbaustudium; Graduiertenstudium; Hauptstudium; Influence; Einfluss; Einflussfaktor; STEM; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik
Abstract	Purpose: Much of the extant research, practice and policy in engineering education has focused on the limited persistence, waning interest and lack of preparation among Black students to continue beyond the post-secondary engineering pipeline. However, this research suggests that many Black PhD students persist and succeed in engineering, fueled by various motivational strengths. To better understand the motivations of Black students in engineering doctoral programs, this study aims to explore the factors that influence their decision to enroll in either an engineering or a computing doctoral program. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses an intrinsic and extrinsic motivational framework to investigate the inspiration of 44 Black engineering doctoral students in PhD engineering programs in 11 engineering schools across the country. Findings: Results show that the participants' motivation to pursue a PhD in engineering comes from several distinct factors, including the following: an unyielding passion for their particular discipline, a sense of responsibility to serve marginalized peoples and society, a path toward autonomy, pre-PhD mentorship and research opportunities and family and prior work experience. Research limitations/implications: Based on this study's findings, a reconceptualization of graduate engineering education that incorporates the importance of "being Black" and its relationships with motivating and, potentially, retaining Black science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students is also offered. Originality/value: This paper seeks to expose particular constructs and behaviors surrounding Black students' motivation to learn and achieve in engineering at the highest academic levels, offering a more nuanced perspective than currently is found in traditional engineering education literature. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01