Critical Incidents Self Efficacy in African American Women

The workforce has become more diverse in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, women in STEM career fields are not proportionate to their male counterparts. Women represent 24% of the STEM workforce, but African American women are a population of this percentage that is significantly underrepresented (Noonan, 2017). Moreover, 11% disparity existed in 2015 for African American women versus white women who were between the ages of 25-34 who graduated with an undergraduate degree and were employed in STEM career. Careers in STEM are significantly important to increase innovation and keep the United States global competitiveness in technology, healthcare, and sustainable development.

As high school graduates decide on a field of study at a post-secondary school, there are factors that can influence their decision to pursue a specific career. Factors such as experience and exposure to certain career fields can shape beliefs about jobs and careers. Research indicates through mentorships and internship experiences that students were motivated and gained confidence when pursuing a specific career field in post-secondary school (Coneal, 2012).

These factors pose a question as to whether experience or exposure is a predeterminant to developing confidence in African American women.

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between self-efficacy, student experiences, and cultural/ethnic identity. More specifically, this study is designed to answer the following hypothesis.

1. What experiences have African American women encountered or participated in that influence their self-efficacy towards choosing STEM careers?
2.  How does cultural/ethnic identity among African American women influence self-efficacy and choosing careers?
3. What critical incidents influence self-efficacy in African American women to choose a career STEM.
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Assumptions

An assumption has been identified. Faculty member such as a career counselor or advisor will be required to identify the students who meet the criteria provided to them by the researcher to obtain the sample.

Definition of Terms

These terms will be used throughout this paper. This list represents key terms and their operational definitions. African American/Black: African American or black will be used interchangeably in this paper. A person that self-identifies as African American or black. Critical: Identifying incidents or events that influence or shape behaviors, perceptions, or attitudes. Cultural/Ethnic Identity: Cultural and ethnic identity will be used interchangeably in this paper. It is defined as, “ethnic identity includes self-identification, the importance of ethnicity in one’s life, ethnic group affiliation, positive feelings and attitudes toward one’s ethnic group, and the belief that others view one’s ethnic group favorably”. Experiences: An experience consist of a mentor, internship, exposure to a specific career by a family member, friend, or educator. Self-Efficacy: A persons set of beliefs about their ability to overcome or successfully deal with situations. These set of beliefs include how a person may feel, behave, or think about certain situations and events.

The purpose of this study is to determine the role self-efficacy plays in career choices that African American women make while attending Gateway Technical College in Racine, Wisconsin. This literature review will focus on the under-representation of African American women in STEM careers. More specifically, this discussion will provide information about critical incidents such as cultural identity, student experiences, how these factors relate to self-efficacy, and choosing a career in STEM.

These variables were chosen to determine the relationship of self-efficacy and African American women choosing STEM as a career field. Research presented in this paper will specifically uncover how critical incidents influence the role of self-efficacy and how it relates to career choices in STEM for African American women. Two specific variables are discussed in relationship to its influence on self-efficacy. They are cultural/ethnic identity, and experiences.

African American Women representation in STEM has been a discussion cultivating among lawmakers, academic institutions, and STEM advocates (Hill & Rose & American Association of University Women, 2010; U.S. Department of Education, 2016). Moreover, research concerning African American women has focused on factors that influence career interest and choices. Both qualitative and quantitative research is available concerning this topic. However, additional research is needed to identify what critical incidents influence self-efficacy and drive African American women to choose career fields in STEM? The underpinning theory of this study is that self-efficacy can influence career choices or interest.

Self-Efficacy

Prior research has demonstrated an interest about self-efficacy and the relationship to career choices in STEM. Bandura defines self-efficacy as a person’s ability to successfully achieve desired outcomes and that people have a set of beliefs including attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors about their own abilities . However, certain factors may specifically contribute or influence self-efficacy and impact why people make certain choices in life, such as a career. Understanding critical incidents among African American women can provide knowledge on how to increase a person’s self-efficacy. Research involving 198 African American women determined a correlation existed between self-efficacy, choice of goal, and vocational interest.

This study has implications that self-efficacy may be an influencing factor for African American women choosing a specific vocation. Therefore, further studying predictors or factors that produce self-efficacy may lead to specific career interest. Academic self-efficacy has been proven to cultivate an interest in a specific field of study or career. A study involving non -traditional African American female students measured math intentions and choice interest. It identified a link existed between self-efficacy and choice interest. Waller’s study determined when students feel they can successfully perform mathematical task and experience positive outcome; students will develop math interest. This is an implication that a person’s ability to successfully perform mathematical tasks with positive outcomes could increase self-efficacy. This fact suggests that developing specific academic self-efficacy’s such as math would increase interest that could lead to career choices in STEM.

Additionally, further investigation into intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are factors that can relate to self-efficacy and the relationship to student success. The researcher explored how intrinsic and extrinsic motivators link self-efficacy to academic adjustment which is synonymous with student success. The findings determined that self-efficacy predicated intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, Therefore, concluding that self-efficacy independently can increase student achievement. This study does not discredit intrinsic motivators for student success among the participants study. It was identified as a partial mediator between self-efficacy and student’s success. This factor is important an important variable to study, because it can result in academic institutions identifying methods and programs that can increase the self-efficacy of African American female students in higher education. Previously stated, Waller’s study indicates when increased achievement in mathematics occurred, self-efficacy increased which denotes further investigation into factors that influence or lead to increased levels of self-efficacy for academic achievement.

Cultural/Ethnic identity

Historically, women have been under-represented in STEM fields. Moreover, a disparity exists among the number of African American women represented in STEM. According to a ten-year study by the U.S. Department of Education between 2005 and 2010, African American women between the age of 18-24 represented 38% of the population which is 8% less than their white counterparts (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Research has suggested that a lack of African American women in STEM fields exist because of cultural barriers such as racism, discrimination, and a lack of inclusion. An actual experience narrated by two professors at the University of Florida indicates that cultural barriers such as racism still exist among African Americans in the twenty-first century. A group of minority students, that consisted of some African Americans won a robotics competition.

After the competition, some children who were not part of their team made racist remarks to the group of minority students. Two of the University of Florida’s professors who had oversight of this competition were not surprised by the racism that the minority students were subjected to. The professors who had been familiar with this type of racism themselves, indicated that this type of racism and words of hate can detour minority students from pursuing STEM careers. One of the professors indicated this type of racism can lead to isolation among minority students. Resulting in these students pursuing other career fields outside of STEM. Specifically, because of the lack of cultural diversity and a sense of inclusion of minorities that exist in this field.

Research concerning the role of culture and ethnic identity is important. It is one factor that may help academic institutions understand how these critical incidents detour African American women from seeking higher education and what determinants impact their career choices. The one question that continually arises are concerning the cultural and ethnic identity barriers that African American’s face when pursuing higher education and specific career fields. People who feel a sense of belonging or connectedness to a culture or ethnic group has sparked interest in research about its relationship to self-efficacy. Self-esteem has been linked to having a sense of belongingness and connectedness to one’s own culture or ethnic group. Thomas & Wagner (2013) like Anglin & Wade (2007), also linked cultural/ethnic identity with self-esteem. Specifically, Thomas & Wagner (2013) study performed on African American subjects resulted in quantitative data that indicated a positive correlation with having a sense of ethnic identity and belongingness to one’s group. Basically, a sense of belongingness to one’s ethnic group generated a positive sense of self.

Ogbu suggest that African Americans self-worth increases when they feel a sense of belonging (Ogbu, ). He indicates the need for academia to understand what he refers to as collective identity. Collective identity is the understanding of cultural and language differences in the education of minorities. One of the key elements of student’s feeling a sense of belongingness was how they experienced the school’s cultural climate, and did it reflect or represent their culture. Ogbu suggested that when African American students didn’t feel a sense of inclusion or belongingness, they would oppose the existing culture of the school, become frustrated when attempting to fit in with their white counterparts, or lack the self-worth to pursue certain academics such as honor and advanced placement (AP) courses. Students interviewed and observed in this study sought to integrate their cultural identify and experiences within the school curriculum. For example, he indicates a group of African American theatre arts students were participating in a play. They decided to create their own version of the play that represented their own cultural experience.

This type of cultural identity where African Americans form a culture of togetherness or peer groups be negative towards other students of race and cause them to encounter racial discrimination (Brown, Bryan A., Henderson, J. Bryan, Gray, Salina, Donovan, Brian, Sullivan, Shayna, Patterson, Alexis, & Waggstaff, William. (2016).).This can lead to African American students adopting racial identifies that are not within their cultural norms to feel as sense of belongingness and inclusion. African Americans are seeking to find inclusion into a cultural and a curriculum that predominately reflects the white race. These studies support the theories concerning developing a sense of satisfaction in one’s own ethnic groups as well as others can result in successful college and academic outcomes. These facts denote that ethnic identity plays a role in generating positive self-esteem in both one’s own ethnic group.

A sense of satisfaction, positive self-esteem, and belonginess to one culture can produce positive academic outcomes which is linked to Bandura’s theory about self-efficacy. Bandura’s defines self-efficacy as a person’s beliefs about their abilities, therefore, if culture identity can produce positive academic outcomes as Anglin & Wade’s study indicates, then understanding the influence of culture identity as it relates to self-efficacy is important. On the other hand, another study focused on multiple factors including academic self-efficacy and the relationship to ethnic identity. This study provided information concerning how these factors relate to African American students majoring in STEM career fields. The statistical data demonstrated no significant correlation between self-efficacy and ethnic identity which is in opposition to Anglin and Wades theory. This study would implicate that cultural identity doesn’t significantly influence self-efficacy or a person’s choice to major in a STEM career field. The argument that Anglin & Wade versus Fife’s theory leads to implications that additional studies can provide further insight. Specifically, concerning how African American women perceive their ethnic identity in relationship to self-efficacy and making a career choice in STEM.

Experiences

Studies have been performed about the role that experiences or mentorships play in constructing self-efficacy and choosing a career in STEM for African American women. Lent’s qualitative study involving 23 African American’s who majored in computer science provided an in depth understanding about experiences that cultivated their choice in a STEM field. This study indicated that student mentors such as professors, parents, advisors, teachers, and friends were contributors to their decision in STEM. These mentors were identified as working in the computer science field or provided an encouraging support system that cultivated their interest or persistency.

A study performed involving interviews of ten African American STEM professors resulted in the different approaches and practices of mentoring students (Mondisa, J. (2015). The study identified three key approaches that contributed to the success of their mentors. These mentors focused on 1) advising their mentees 2) guiding and helping them identify a plan to reach academic success and 3) developing a relationship of caring with the student. The result of this study indicated that the mentorship from the STEM professors helped the students achieve their goal through persistency and increasing their perception about their ability to be academically success in their field. This study suggest that African American STEM mentors can influence the belief about one’s ability to participate in STEM.

It is important to further study the implications of mentorship programs for African American women choosing to pursue careers in STEM and identify if the lack of mentors who look like them exist in their programs. Mentorship in this study defined methods to deal with negative preconceived beliefs about one’s own ability to academically achieve. Those negative beliefs about one’s ability to perform academically can impact the self-efficacy of students pursuing a career fields in STEM. Self-efficacy is partially based on a person’s belief about their own abilities according to Bandura. In the case of the study by Mondisa, if mentorship can increase one’s perception about their academic ability in STEM, it’s a critical element to further investigate its influence and relationship to self-efficacy.

Attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) proves to be an experience that African American students participate in and have cultivated positive outcomes for those majoring in STEM. According to a recent study performed by the National Science Foundation, it indicates that approximately 30% of the science and engineering undergraduate degree graduates were from an HBCU. Minority student’s academic performance at an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) was measured using a model called Benjamin Banneker Scholars Program (BBSP). Moreover, it was designed as a mentorship model to increase academic performance among minority students, retention, and graduation rates in STEM.

This fact is important because Waller’s theory indicates academic self-efficacy in math can lead to an increase interest in math fields. Therefore, applying models with structured mentorship and experiences such as the BBSP can increase academic performance in STEM. This is important because this study will further investigate and determine the type of experiences like BBSP that can influence self-efficacy in African American women and determine if it impacted their decision to choose a STEM career. Another study indicated that African American women who participated or experienced college at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) had a higher rate of participation in STEM majors than traditional university.

This study implicates a need to further investigate the hypothesis stated earlier in this paper about experiences and its relationship to self-efficacy and career choices in STEM among African American women. This literature review has provided information about critical incidents such as culture/ethnic identity and experiences that can influence self-efficacy. Arguments have been made that critical incidents can influence self-efficacy, however, in Fife’s case it may not be linked to these incidents. Identifying these types critical incidents can be a key factor in determining how it relates to self-efficacy and the choices among African American women choosing a career in STEM.