This is a study that demonstrates my growing understanding of the factors that influence Latinx engineering students’ sense of belonging in engineering. I conducted a literature review to help me gain perspectives from prior research on this topic. I wanted to investigate Latinx engineering students’ sense of belonging at Arizona State University. This interest was fueled by my own perspectives as an undergraduate first-generation Latina student. I was inspired by the Social Identity Development Theory described in “Becoming La Ingenieria” by Sarah L Rodriguez (2019). I found that science performance, science competence, and science identity recognition were important factors in engineering for Latinx students to thrive and succeed in their chosen major--engineering. Through the literature review, I found that Latinx engineering students need family support, faculty and staff to look up to, and ways to create authentic connections with near peers and professions. Student organization involvement such as in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers student chapter can help Latinx students grow their intersectional identities related to their identification as Latinx and as an engineer which then helped strengthen their sense of belonging in engineering. <br/><br/>I conducted a survey of Latinx engineering students at Arizona State University to better understand their perceptions on issues related to their sense of belonging and underlying factors of competence, recognition, and performance in engineering. However, due to the low participation, possibly due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, I could not conduct statistical analyses that could lead inferences to the broad population of Latinx engineering students at ASU. <br/><br/>It is important to continue to create structures within university engineering programs and professional engineering societies to offer formal near-peer and professional mentorship of Latinx students. The integration of families from recruitment to graduation of Latinx engineering students may help build a more supportive structure for students to succeed. Research on the ways in which university faculty, staff, and near-peers can better support Latinx students will be essential to build classroom environments that help all students build a sense of belonging in engineering.

Based on James Marcia's theory, identity development in youth is the degree to which one has explored and committed to a vocation [1], [2]. During the path to an engineering identity, students will experience a crisis, when one's values and choices are examined and reevaluated, and a commitment, when the outcome of the crisis leads the student to commit to becoming an engineer. During the crisis phase, students are offered a multitude of experiences to shape their values and choices to influence commitment to becoming an engineering student. Student's identities in engineering are fostered through mentoring from industry, alumni, and peer coaching [3], [4]; experiences that emphasize awareness of the importance of professional interactions [5]; and experiences that show creativity, collaboration, and communication as crucial components to engineering. Further strategies to increase students' persistence include support in their transition to becoming an engineering student, education about professional engineers and the workplace [6], and engagement in engineering activities beyond the classroom. Though these strategies are applied to all students, there are challenges students face in confronting their current identity and beliefs before they can understand their value to society and achieve personal satisfaction. To understand student's progression in developing their engineering identity, first year engineering students were surveyed at the beginning and end of their first semester. Students were asked to rate their level of agreement with 22 statements about their engineering experience. Data included 840 cases. Items with factor loading less than 0.6 suggesting no sufficient explanation were removed in successive factor analysis to identify the four factors. Factor analysis indicated that 60.69% of the total variance was explained by the successive factors. Survey questions were categorized into three factors: engineering identity as defined by sense of belonging and self-efficacy, doubts about becoming an engineer, and exploring engineering. Statements in exploring engineering indicated student awareness, interest and enjoyment within engineering. Students were asked to think about whether they spent time learning what engineers do and participating in engineering activities. Statements about doubts about engineering to engineering indicated whether students had formed opinions about their engineering experience and had understanding about their environment. Engineering identity required thought in belonging and self-efficacy. Belonging statements called for thought about one's opinion in the importance of being an engineer, the meaning of engineering, an attachment to engineering, and self-identification as an engineer. Statements about self-efficacy required students to contemplate their personal judgement of whether they would be able to succeed and their ability to become an engineer. Effort in engineering indicated student willingness to invest time and effort and their choices and effort in their engineering discipline.

Females and underrepresented ethnic minorities earn a small percentage of engineering and computer science bachelor's degrees awarded in the United States, earn an even smaller proportion of master's and doctoral degrees, and are underrepresented in the engineering workforce (Engineering Workforce Commission, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2012; United States Department of Education, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2009a; United States Department of Education, [2006], as cited in National Science Foundation, 2009b). Considerable research has examined the perceptions, culture, curriculum, and pedagogy in engineering that inhibits the achievement of women and underrepresented ethnic minorities. This action research study used a qualitative approach to examine the characteristics and experiences of Latina students who pursued a bachelor's degree in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU) as part of the 2008 first-time full-time freshman cohort. The researcher conducted two semi-structured individual interviews with seven undergraduate Latina students who successfully persisted to their fourth (senior) year in engineering. The researcher aimed to understand what characteristics made these students successful and how their experiences affected their persistence in an engineering major. The data collected showed that the Latina participants were motivated to persist in their engineering degree program due to their parents' expectations for success and high academic achievement; their desire to overcome the discrimination, stereotyping, and naysayers that they encountered; and their aspiration to become a role model for their family and other students interested in pursuing engineering. From the data collected, the researcher provided suggestions to implement and adapt educational activities and support systems within the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering to improve the retention and graduation rates of Latinas in engineering at ASU.