CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF CONTEXTUAL SUPPORTS AND BARRIERS ON AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS’ PERSISTENCE IN ENGINEERING
Open Access
Author:
Montgomery, Lisa
Graduate Program:
Counselor Education
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
June 22, 2009
Committee Members:
Dr Spencer Niles, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor Spencer G Niles, D Ed, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Jerry G Trusty, Committee Member Keith B Wilson, Committee Member Edgar I Farmer Sr., Committee Member
Keywords:
African Americans college students persistence career counseling social cognitive career theory
Abstract:
Using case study methodology (Stake, 2006), this research examined the environmental influences, or contextual supports and barriers, that were most influential in contributing to African American students’ persistence in an engineering major. Social cognitive career theory provides the framework for understanding the role of contextual supports and barriers in conceptualizing persistence. Eight African American college students at a Large, Midatlantic State University (LMSU) participated in the study. Semistructured interviews, lasting on average 82.5 minutes, were conducted using an interview protocol adapted from Seymour and Hewitt (1997). The six emergent themes that had the most impact on their ability to persistence in emerging are: (1) Cultural Issues; (2) Engineering Identity; (3) Family Influence; (4) Peer relationships; (5) Academic Issues; and (6) Personal Issues. Five of the six were perceived as both contextual supports and barriers to their experience in their major. Cultural issues (e.g. participation in the Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP), involvement in National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and other culture-related activities) figured most prominently in providing the necessary support and obviating the effects of any barriers they encountered. Implications for various stake holders and theory were provided. Limitations and strengths of the study and recommendations for future research were also discussed.