An Evaluation of a Baccalaureate Engineering Enrichment Program on Diverse Engineering Students’ Success Using CIPP and VEE Models: A Multi-Method Approach

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dc.contributor.advisorHorn, Catherine L.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMcKinney, Lyle
dc.contributor.committeeMemberEvans, Paige K.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberHenderson, Jerrod A.
dc.creatorNguyen, Ha Thi
dc.creator.orcid0000-0001-5858-4262
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-02T21:01:11Z
dc.date.createdMay 2022
dc.date.issued2022-05-16
dc.date.updated2023-01-02T21:01:12Z
dc.description.abstractBackground: Scholars have noted that the STEM labor shortage diminishes the U.S. global competitiveness and threatens national security. Among the STEM disciplines, the engineering field experiences a lack of workers, and engineers have been on the top list of hard-to-fill jobs. Around 50% of the freshmen students entering engineering degrees do not complete the degree requirements. Furthermore, there is a constant underrepresentation of racial/ethnic minorities and women in the engineering field. Broadening participation in engineering is essential to drive the nation's innovation and improve lived experiences of minoritized engineering students. Purpose/Research Questions: This study aims to examine the implementation and effectiveness of the Program for Mastery in Engineering Studies (PROMES) at the University of Houston. Guided by Stufflebeam's (1971) CIPP model and Greene's (2006) VEE model, this study evaluates the PROMES's implementation and impacts on improving diverse engineering students' academic success, building a diverse community, and strengthening students' engagement. This dissertation explored the following research questions: 1) What strategies and resources have the program utilized to meet PROMES' goals and targeted students' needs, especially that of underrepresented racial minorities (URM) and female students? (Input); 2) To what extent and in what ways are PROMES' strategies being implemented? How are they received by engineering students? (Process); and 3) What is the impact of PROMES on engineering students' academic success, particularly of URM and female students? (Product). Methods: Multi-method approaches were applied to examine the research questions. For the qualitative phase, 12 individual interviews with key program stakeholders were conducted. Inductive analysis techniques were applied for the qualitative data. The quantitative portion employed the Propensity Score Analysis and t-tests techniques to examine the differences in program and non-program's students' GPA. The enrollment and transcript data for freshmen engineering students who enrolled in the college of engineering in the Fall 2018 (N = 327) and PROMES data for all freshmen who enrolled in the program in the Fall 2018 (n = 21) were utilized. Findings: PROMES is a successful program that has positively impacted academic success for engineering scholars, especially minorities and female students. The program created a strong sense of acceptance, inclusion, and engagement in engineering for minority and female students, which motivated them to advance in engineering majors. It increased students' self-efficacy, which led to their improved persistence in engineering. It also contributed to the engineering workforce by preparing students for career readiness skills and gaining job offers. The program's impact on improving students' GPA was credited in the qualitative findings but not confirmed in the quantitative analysis. The program's success was attributed to various factors, including an inclusive strategic planning approach, a strong faculty's commitment to diverse engineering students' success, and a student body with good community spirits. Conclusion: This study points to a need for more substantial investment in PROMES or similar engineering enrichment programs to improve engineering students' success and broaden minority and women's participation in the engineering workforce.
dc.description.departmentEducational Leadership and Policy Studies, Department of
dc.format.digitalOriginborn digital
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10657/13290
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsThe author of this work is the copyright owner. UH Libraries and the Texas Digital Library have their permission to store and provide access to this work. Further transmission, reproduction, or presentation of this work is prohibited except with permission of the author(s).
dc.subjectEngineering students
dc.subjectSTEM students
dc.subjectCIPP Model
dc.subjectVEE Model
dc.subjectEvaluation
dc.subjectEngineering enrichment program
dc.subjectMinority engineering students
dc.subjectStudents engagement
dc.subjectAcademic success
dc.titleAn Evaluation of a Baccalaureate Engineering Enrichment Program on Diverse Engineering Students’ Success Using CIPP and VEE Models: A Multi-Method Approach
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.genreThesis
dcterms.accessRightsThe full text of this item is not available at this time because the student has placed this item under an embargo for a period of time. The Libraries are not authorized to provide a copy of this work during the embargo period.
local.embargo.lift2024-05-01
local.embargo.terms2024-05-01
thesis.degree.collegeCollege of Education
thesis.degree.departmentEducational Leadership and Policy Studies, Department of
thesis.degree.disciplineHigher Education Leadership and Policy
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Houston
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy

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