Flores, L. Y., Navarro, R. L., Lee, H. S., & Luna, L. L. (in press). Predictors of engineering self-efficacy and outcome expectations among Latino/a and White engineering students. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering. (Flores et al., in press)
Do the four learning experiences (performance accomplishments, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, physiological arousal) influence the development of engineering-related self-efficacy and engineering-related outcome expectations over time? Do these relations differ across men and women? Do these relations differ across Latino/as and Whites?
Key Terms:
- Model Domains:
- Realistic Activities are preferring to work with things and engage in manual activities.
- Investigative activities are working with ideas and abstract challenges in such as mathematics and science.
- Learning Experiences:
- Performance accomplishments are positive and negative experiences that can influence the ability of an individual to perform a given task.
- Vicarious learning is learning through the experiences of others.
- Verbal persuasion is encouragement from family, friends, and other influential people to engage in engineering-related activities and careers
- Physiological arousal is the experience of stress or anxiety before performing a task (i.e. giving a speech).
Key Findings
General Findings
- Low physiological arousal related to high confidence in abilities to perform Realistic activities. This was similar for men and women as well as Latino/as and Whites.
Gender Differences
- The relation between Realistic performance accomplishments at Time 1 and Time 2 was significant and positive for men and women, but it was stronger for women.
Racial Differences:
- Prior performance accomplishments, vicarious learning, verbal persuasion, and low physiological arousal predicted high expectations for positive outcomes for engaging in Realistic activities. This was similar for men and women as well as Latino/as and Whites.
- The relation between Realistic verbal persuasion at Time 1 and Time 2 was significant and positive for Latino/as and Whites, but stronger for Whites.
Implications
- Historically, women have not been afforded the same opportunity as men to engage in engineering-related tasks. The study suggests that once women have successfully performed engineering-related tasks, they seek out more of these opportunities and maintain their active involvement in such tasks over time at a greater rate than men.
- Regardless of race, family, friends, and professors appear to be verbally encouraging engineering students’ progress in the field. However, reinforcement and encouragement appears to be greater for Whites.
- The high representation of Whites in engineering may serve as a strong reinforcement over time for White students when compared to their Latino/a peers.
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