This research was performed to get a better understanding of social safety factors that impact students pursuing higher education degrees in engineering and technology fields and to understand what might be done to encourage students to begin and then complete the degrees.
A mixed-methods research design was used to examine student perceptions of social safety within engineering and technology-related academic programs. A survey that incorporated both quantitative and qualitative data was developed and administered via Qualtrics. The survey underwent an alpha and a beta version. Likert-scale questions assessed perceptions of respect, support and experiences with bias or discrimination within academic settings. Demographic questions were left open-ended, allowing students to self-identify using their own terms for gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion and academic program. Open-ended questions were also used for students to provide detailed qualitative information about their personal social safety experiences.
Social safety and comfort levels reported by students include notable gender-based differences. When examined solely by religious affiliation, notable differences in comfort levels were observed. Students’ comfort within academic environments is shaped not only by structural or demographic factors but also by a variety of personal and internal experiences. Imposter syndrome and social anxiety were the most prevalent. Social and cultural factors most prevalent were instructor personality and academic pressure. The most impactful factors in supporting student comfort include inclusive pedagogical practices such as clear expectations, a welcoming atmosphere, encouragement of questions and celebration of success.
The research investigates how institutional frameworks and personal relationships between students and faculty members affect students’ academic experiences in engineering and technology higher education. It establishes that social safety development stands as a fundamental requirement instead of an optional factor for student engagement and academic persistence. The research uses student perspectives to reveal institutional obstacles and also to recommend methods for building more socially safe academic spaces.
The results of this research can be used by higher education faculty, administrators and even students to better understand impacts on social safety in engineering and technology fields, including when differing demographics play a role and also offers practical and actionable recommendations for improvement by the student survey participants.
The results of this research help express disparities in social safety based on gender, ethnicity and other personal characteristics. It demonstrates that there are various personal as well as structural barriers that impede a sense of comfort and social safety and offers recommendations for addressing them.
The research provides an original contribution through its study of social safety, which combines psychological internal factors with external structural elements, in STEM fields in dual-mission higher education. The research examines how gender identity, ethnicity and religion interact to produce specific patterns of student comfort and bias. The research identifies essential personal, classroom and environmental factors that affect student’s sense of belonging and offers practical recommendations from the survey participants, which helps advance STEM education equity understanding and creates a framework for future assessment and institutional improvement.
