Latino Faculty in STEM Disciplines: Motivation to Engage in Research Activities

abstract

• The scarcity of underrepresented faculty members in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is an issue of great concern to education researchers and scholars alike. Despite their low representation, many minority faculty are able to remain motivated, even when facing barriers due to their ethnicity. I present findings from a pilot study that sought to use self-determination theory to understand the research motivation of 15 Latino faculty members within the STEM disciplines. Data reveal that conducting meaningful research, producing "high-quality" scholarship, and feeling connected to others allowed participants to feel intrinsically motivated to engage in their scholarship. 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

authors

• Lechuga, Vicente

published proceedings

• JOURNAL OF LATINOS AND EDUCATION

author list (cited authors)

• Lechuga, V. M.

citation count

• 7

complete list of authors

• Lechuga, Vicente M

publication date

• April 2012

publisher

• Taylor & Francis  Publisher

published in

• Journal of Latinos and Education  Journal

keywords

• Engineering And Mathematics (stem) Fields
• Faculty
• Minorities
• Motivation
• Science
• Technology

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1080/15348431.2012.659564

start page

• 107

end page

• 123

volume

• 11

issue

• 2

URL

• http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1080%2F15348431.2012.659564

user-defined tag

• 4 Quality Education
• 6 Clean Water and Sanitation