Board 347: Positive Predictors of Neurodiverse Students' Sense of Belonging in Engineering
- Conference
- Location
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Portland, Oregon
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2024
- Start Date
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June 23, 2024
- End Date
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July 12, 2024
- Conference Session
- Tagged Topics
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Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
- Permanent URL
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https://strategy.asee.org/46929
Paper Authors
Maria Chrysochoou University of Connecticut
Maria Chrysochoou is a Professor and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut. She obtained her BS in Physics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, her MS in Environmental Engineering at Technis
Rachael Gabriel University of Connecticut
Connie Syharat
University of Connecticut
orcid.org/0000-0002-7913-863X
Connie Syharat is a Ph.D. student and Research Assistant at the University of Connecticut as a part of two neurodiversity-centered NSF-funded projects, Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (NSF:RED) "Beyond Accommodation: Leveraging Neurodiversity for Engineering Innovation" and Innovations in Graduate Education (NSF:IGE) “Encouraging the Participation of Neurodiverse Students in STEM Graduate Programs to Radically Enhance the Creativity of the Professional Workforce". As a graduate researcher, she is conducting qualitative research related to the experiences of neurodiverse graduate students in STEM fields. Previously, she spent eight years as a K-12 teacher in Connecticut, where she maintained a focus on providing a varied learning environment and differentiated instruction for all types of learners. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Engineering Education in UConn's College of Engineering.
Christa L. Taylor University of Connecticut
Christa L. Taylor, Ph.D., is an Independent Research Consultant and Research Affiliate with the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. Her research is focused on issues in creativity, social cognition, and neurodiversity. She received a Ph.D. in Social-Personality Psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York before completing postdoctoral work at Yale University and Université catholique du Louvain in Belgium.
Abstract
Recent literature points toward the benefits of cognitive diversity in building a more creative engineering workforce. Still, despite the potential of neurodiverse individuals, such as autistic students, students with ADHD and/or dyslexia to leverage their unique assets to contribute to innovative solutions to engineering problems, they remain highly underrepresented in engineering majors. Thus, a department-level initiative was established as part of a National Science Foundation Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (NSF:RED) grant at a large, research intensive (R1) institution to foster a radically inclusive culture that enhances the participation and sense of belonging of neurodiverse students in engineering. The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of neurodiverse students' sense of belonging in engineering, assessing both classroom and out-of-classroom experiences in department courses. A survey related to student experiences in engineering courses was administered and data from 144 respondents were included for analysis. Factor analysis identified five classroom-specific factors (engagement, instructional quality, inclusion, learning development, and disengagement) and two out-of-classroom influencing factors (belonging and community access). Multiple regression models and independent sample t-tests were employed to determine the significant predictors of sense of belonging in engineering. The study found that classroom inclusion was the only significant predictor of belonging and could predict it positively to a moderate degree. Further, it was found that students in revised inclusive courses reported significantly stronger feelings of inclusion and belonging than their peers in traditional courses. These findings suggest that systematic efforts to implement inclusive learning practices in engineering education may contribute to a sense of belonging for neurodiverse students.
Chrysochoou, M., & Gabriel, R., & Syharat, C., & Taylor, C. L. (2024, June), Board 347: Positive Predictors of Neurodiverse Students' Sense of Belonging in Engineering Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://strategy.asee.org/46929
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