Latina students are enrolling in postsecondary education in high numbers, yet their enrollment in engineering fields remains low. Part of the challenge Latina students face is a struggle to develop a strong professional identity as an engineer. Using a phenomenological approach, this study examined the experiences of undergraduate Latina engineering students. Researchers used a four-step process to understand the meaning-making process of identity formation. Latina engineering students developed professional identities through interactions with family members, engagement with identity-based organizations, and in relation to their other identities. Implications include the need to enhance family involvement, provide organizational support, and consider intersecting identities.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/erin-doran/20/
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in the Journal of Latinos and Education in 2019, available online at DOI: 10.1080/15348431.2019.1648269. Posted with permission.