Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011 - rees2009

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(e.g. Jordan et al., 2011). To combat low engineering self-efficacy students join
professional societies such as the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is an organization whose mission is “to
increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically,
succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” The philanthropic
organization was founded in 1975 by six Black students, coined the “Chicago six” at
Purdue University. These men set out to start an organization dedicated to the recruitment
and retention of Black students in engineering. Over the years NSBE has evolved and
grown into a global organization with nearly 30,000 members. In 1988, NSBE expanded
and incorporated NSBE Jr. chapters to help increase the number of Black students exposed
to math and science in hopes that one day they will see engineering as a future field of
study. Thereafter the
Pre-College Initiative (PCI) program was launched to help NSBE build its pipeline by
including students in grades 6 through 12. Today NSBE is one of the largest student run
organizations in the United States with over 2,000 elected leadership positions, 12
regional conferences and an annual convention. The society offers academic excellence
programs, scholarships, leadership training, and professional development. The
opportunities NSBE provides are unparalleled to any other student organization running
today (National Society of Black Engineers [NSBE], 2011). The leadership development,
academic programming, mentoring, and networking available to NSBE members has the
potential to help increase their engineering self-efficacy.
The following theoretical framework provides a basis for helping understand self-efficacy
as it relates to Black students in engineering.
Theoretical Framework
Social Cognitive Career Theory
Lent et al. (2003) developed the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) by expanding
Bandura’s (1991) Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). SCCT includes environmental, behavioral,
and other variables that develop a person’s academic interest. This theory has been widely
accepted in engineering education research and has been used as a way to help predict
students’ academic interests and goals in engineering (e.g. Lent et al. 2005). SCCT is used
to understand how people develop academic and career interests, make and revise their
educational/vocational plans, and achieve quality performance in their chosen academic
and career quest.
SCCT identifies self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, and other factors that help shape
a students’ career path. Understanding this theory provides a foundation to comprehend
self-efficacy.
Self-Efficacy
According to Bandura (1991), self-efficacy is a person’s belief about their capability to
exercise control over events that affect their lives, such as completion of a college degree.
Proceedings of Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011
Madrid, 4 th - 7 th October 2011