Microaggressions in Engineering Student Teams: Effects on Learning, Performance, and Persistence

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Because engineering is cast as a masculine field, women engineering students can experience subtle yet pervasive stereotypic messages in their learning environments that can negatively influence their experiences. This early stage research project will identify specific behavioral manifestations of gender stereotypes--microaggressions--and their cumulative effect on learning, performance, and persistence in introductory engineering course teamwork. Such microaggressions may cause the climate of the team to become less welcoming to women. The proposed research unites two areas of strong research interest (social science research on gender stereotypes and engineering education on teamwork and climate) to advance understanding of women's underrepresentation in engineering as compared to men. The goal of the project is to identify and reliably measure microaggressions in both lab-based and classroom-based engineering student project teams. The research will test whether exposure to microaggressions increases perceived stereotype threat and diminishes a sense of belonging in engineering for women compared to men, leading to a gender gap favoring men in the important engineering outcomes of learning, performance, and persistence. The research program builds on prior NSF-funded work of the investigators and includes five research activities. The goal of Study One is to identify the specific types of microaggressions (e.g., ignoring women's contributions or assigning women to less important tasks) occurring in videotaped laboratory-based engineering teams. Researchers will develop a reliable microaggressions assessment procedure, and will analyze effects on engineering outcomes (learning, performance, and persistence). In Study Two, the lab-based data will be supplemented with qualitative data reported by students who previously participated in an engineering student group project, via student focus groups. Study Three will examine the influence of microaggressions occurring in class-based teams on engineering outcomes over time. Introductory engineering student teams will be tracked and observed at three time points in one semester to measure microaggressions and their influence on academic and psychological outcomes. In studies Four and Five engineering students (both women and men) will be randomly assigned to view one of two videos showing student teams in which microaggressions are present or absent in team interactions. The researchers will analyze the effects of the different videos on the students knowledge of the content of the video and their persistence in solving problems.