Engineering student identities in the navigation of the undergraduate curriculum

Abstract

Recent educational theory emphasizes the importance of considering identity processes in studying learning and development. In engineering education, identity has been cited as central in student development, for example, as a key factor in retention of students in the discipline. This paper examines how identity relates to students' decisions about whether to remain in or switch out of engineering majors. We develop case studies of two students, both women and both members of underrepresented minority groups. One successfully gained admittance into her desired major, and one is considering leaving engineering. We argue that while each woman takes a different position on what engineering education should offer, both display a common, and we argue troubling, view of this educational experience. Our analysis seeks to explicate our ethnographic methods and to explore the broader possible significance for engineering education of the views that these women hold.