The Role of the Family in the IT Career Goals of Middle School Latinas

Little is known about the role of family in middle school Latinas’ pathway to an IT-related career. This paper will present findings on how rural, Latina girls are thinking about the role of family in their career interests. The 77 participants range in age from 12-13, and most have parents who were born in Mexico and work in service-related jobs. Students described their career goals, influences on their goal(s), how their parents would feel if they chose to be a computer scientist, and whether their goal would be different if they were a boy. Few described an IT-related goal, and parent support was not a factor. Most students reported that parents were the primary influence on their goals, and most said that their parents would be supportive IF they chose to be a computer scientist. One third said that their career choice would change if they were a boy

Making Education Work For Latinas in the U.S.

This study examines the existing knowledge base about promoting Latina educational success, defined as completing high school and then going on to secure a college degree. It also adds to existing research by examining two large data sets - one national, and one California-based for predictors of successful educational outcomes for representative samples of Latina youth who have recently been in high school and college. Finally, after identifying important predictors of success from the existing literature, and the examination of current data, the study incorporates case studies of seven young Latinas who illustrate pathways of women who are finding their way to educational success through high school, community college, and four year universities. Their stories provide a deeper understanding of the challenges that young Latinas encounter in our culture, as well as the promise they represent

DANCING OUR WAY TO COLLEGE: A CASE STUDY OF COMMUNITY BASED FOLKLÓRICO FOSTERING COMMUNITY CULTURAL WEALTH TO INFLUENCE THE POST SECONDARY ASPIRATIONS, PATHWAYS AND TRANSFERABLE SKILLS OF LATINAS

Within the broader context of the representation of Latinas in higher education, the purpose of this study is to investigate the post-secondary aspirations of Latinas who were involved in a community-based folklórico program. In addition, this study seeks to understand how participating in folklórico programs can influence the college and career aspirations of Latinas, if at all. Finally, this study examines the skills developed by participating in folklórico programs that are transferable to education and career goals or life in general. The theoretical framework of this study was Yosso’s (2005) concept of community cultural wealth and included the expansion of community cultural wealth by Rendon, Nora, and Kanagala (2014). The method of this study was an instrumental case study using individual semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and document analysis to collect data. The findings of this study described the influence of participation in community-based folklórico programs for Latinas, and the development of transferable skills. This study informs educational leaders about the importance of developing pathways to college for folklórico participants that are equipped with the skills, qualities, and capital necessary to be successful in higher education

Chicana/Latina Undergraduate Cultural Capital: Surviving and Thriving in Higher Education

This study addressed the retention of Chicana/Latina undergraduates. The problem explored was one; how these women perceive campus climate as members of a marginalized student population and two; which strategies are used to survive the system. As a qualitative study, this work was guided by a confluence of methods including grounded theory, phenomenology and Chicana epistemology using educational narratives as data. The analysis indicated that Chicanas/Latinas do maintain a sense of being Other throughout their college experiences and this self-identity is perceived as a survival strategy while attending a mainstream campus. Further analysis also showed that Chicanas/Latinas begin their college careers with social/cultural capital and is used as a fluid source of support during their stay at the university

Through the Lens of Latinas: The Influences of an Out-of-School Time STEM Program

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) have been the foundation for discovery and technological innovation in the United States. The United States considers STEM education as a national priority to compete in the global economy and protect the nation’s innovation ecosystem. The high demand for careers in STEM fields promotes the importance of STEM education. However, Latinos, as the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, face many challenges in STEM education relating to a lack of progress, degree attainment, and participation in STEM professions. This research aimed to explore the learning experience in an out-of-school (OST) STEM program, called “Girls in STEM”, and how it influenced Latinas’ self-efficacy, interest, and career development. The research focused on a single-case study of a STEM OST program in South Texas and utilized eight embedded cases to explore three research questions. The sample for this study consisted of 41 middle school and high school girls (grades 7 to 12) who had long-term participation experiences in the STEM program. The data for this qualitative study consisted of in-depth interviews, presentations from art-based activities, and visual arts. Followed by the case study design, the researcher purposefully sought in-depth information from embedded “unit of analysis,” which represented eight participants in the study (Yin, 2013, p. 23). Each case presented different aspects to answer research questions. The researcher analyzed interviews and art-based activities from participants through the lens of social cognitive theory and social cognitive career theory (Bandura, 2001; Lent et al., 1994). The findings explored Latinas’ learning experiences in an OST STEM program. Participants expressed the program created a beneficial learning environment for them, where they engaged in various activities and interacted with adults in the program. The learning experience, as the starting point of SCCT model, had influences on the development of self-efficacy and the formation of interests. In this study, the integration of different subjects, opportunities for collaborative work and conversational interactions with professionals, are three characteristics of cultivating Latinas’ interest in STEM. Additionally, many girls in this study noticed the stereotypes of women in STEM, and gender bias exists in many STEM fields. Socioeconomic status may limit Latina’s options and affected their career development

The Voice of Latinas Persisting in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences of Latinas who persist in a STEM degree in the United States. The central question guiding this research is, what is the essence of the lived experiences of Latinas persisting in STEM education? The sample was composed of 10 Latinas who persisted in a bachelor’s degree in STEM. The lived experiences of Latinas who persisted with a degree in STEM was defined as Hispanic females who graduated from a four-year university with a degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The theory guiding this study is Tinto’s (2015) model of student motivation and persistence as it provides a framework for examining Latinas’ lived experiences persisting in a STEM degree. Data was collected and triangulated using demographic surveys, interviews, focus groups, and letters of advice. The data was analyzed through coding and thematic analysis. It was found that the essence of the experiences of Latinas began with a STEM exposure before entering college, which led to interest in increased curiosity and exploration in their particular STEM field. Following this, either shortly or many years after, they set their goal and worked tirelessly until they graduated. Family support spanned the entirety of their lives, however, peers, professionals or faculty, also provided support by guiding and encouraging them along the way

Reaching Higher Ground

Examines outreach programs at postsecondary institutions that provide greater accessibility to college information for Latino parents. Includes information about the mission, operation, development, marketing, recruitment, and evaluation processes

Where are all the Latinas in Information Technology? Understanding and Engaging La Fuerza Potente of a Powerful Demographic

This study was inspired while I was researching other studies on employee motivational factors for non-profit organizations. I stumbled across the employment factors of Latinas in IT. This led me down a path of researching numbers, facts, organizational campaigns, and employment statistics. Latinas represent only 1% of the IT workforce, despite educational and organizational hiring campaigns and efforts. This led me to further inquire: What are the obstacles, what are the motivators, what is the solution and finally how would the resolutions be implemented? With many qualitative and quantitative studies that identify the deficiency, there has been little done to move the needle on improving that 1%. My desire is this study is to provide answers to the Why so we can then move to the How. Relevant theories that influence the issue will be briefly reviewed and later expanded upon and compared to the findings. As applied to Latinas, the theories and concepts that influence motivators and obstacles are Bandura’s self-efficacy, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, and marianismo. Other theories that are considered to influence Latinas’ way of thinking are Chicana feminist epistemology, which encompasses many of the predominant concepts in Latinas’ ways of knowing. By comprehending the distinctions of how Latina self-efficacy is achieved within the challenges of culture and gender, work programs can better formulate their hiring campaigns to meet and engage this growing demographic where they are, potentially increasing qualified and educated Latinas in their talent pool. With regard to how we can motivate Latinas to enter IT, if we do not adapt to them, we will not attract them

The Journey of Selected Latina Transnational Educational Leaders: Transforming Their Lives Through Educational Achievements and Successful Careers

The purpose of this study was to examine the journeys of selected Latina transnationals and how they transformed their lives through educational achievements and successful careers in the borderlands of Texas. The researcher utilized a phenomenological collective case study approach that investigated how the selected Latina transnationals overcame challenges via a series of semi-structured interviews (Creswell, 2013). Latinas are forced through their journeys to negotiate multiple systems that could possibly impact their educational trajectories (Lechuga-Pena & Lechuga, 2018). Despite Latinas being seen as the other, the object, the minority, many are able to tell their own stories and liberate themselves from the shared experiences of oppression and inequality in the United States (Silva-Martinez, 2017). Through the data analysis, the five themes that emerged bestowed the researcher with a perspective lens and generalizations for the interviews conducted were languages barriers, influencers, mentorship, bicultural, and family pride (Creswell, 2013). The study explored the needs for educational leaders to acknowledge the student\u27s cultural and familial capital which add value to use it for the transformation of their schooling experiences

Undergraduate Latinas\u27 self-definition of academic success

This master\u27s level thesis\u27s objective was to gain a better understanding of how a sample of 13 undergraduate Latinas who graduated high school and immediately enrolled into college define academic success. Through interviews, these undergraduate Latinas explain where these self-definitions came from, mentors that may have influenced these definitions, and if their ethnicity and gender has played any role in the way they perceive academic success. The study also considers findings from previous research regarding academic resilience factors associated with Latinas, such as: being involved in college ready initiatives, obtaining academic support from significant others, having mentors, receiving various messages about the importance of academic success for future success/careers, and socio-economic stability, as well as consideration of cultural capital, social capital, and additional forms of capital. Wanting participants to define their own experiences a phenomenological approach was used, which allows for deep description and rich data collection