2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to compare factors which may influence undergraduate student persistence in engineering and computing. Responses were collected from 290 engineering and computing students attending a large, public Southeastern university. The group included two cohorts of students with high financial need, the first eight sophomore-level students and a second with seven first-year students. Survey questions were adapted from previously developed instruments on self-efficacy, sense-of-belonging, identity, community involvement, and overall college experience. Additional questions were incorporated related to the impact of COVID-19 on life experience, stress level, academic life, and effectiveness of academic supports. Student responses were compared by level of academic progression, declared major, gender, and race / ethnicity.

Similarities and differences between the student cohorts showed a variety of interesting observations. Overall, students responded that they often attended in-person lectures, were prepared for class, worked homework assignments, and studied for exams. Students also expressed that they regret not going to office hours more but they simultaneously rate office hours as one of the least effective supports. Consistently among groups, community involvement and identity were self-reported as relatively low absolute terms while self-efficacy and team self-efficacy were reported as high. Academic success and financial difficulty were the top stressors among all groups. Living away from home was reported as the lowest impact stress factor. Students reported spending the most time preparing for class in their first year compared to students in later years.

Female students (104 responses) reported higher levels of community involvement, identity, and college life compared to male students (142 responses) while self-efficacy and sense of belonging were reported relatively the same. Students with different levels of academic progression reported almost the same levels of self-efficacy and team self-efficacy. Freshmen students expressed the highest level of identity while senior students the lowest. Senior students reported the lowest community involvement, sense of belonging, and identity compared to other students. Overall, students from different races self-reported the same level of self-efficacy. Black / African American students had the highest levels of community involvement, college life, and identity. Students who preferred not to report their race (11 responses) expressed the lowest levels in all the factors. Self-efficacy was relevantly the same among all the different majors. Computer Information Systems students reported the lowest levels of identity, self-belonging, community involvement, team self-efficacy, and college life.