Sense of belonging in engineering: A multigroup analysis of undergraduate engineering students

Abstract Background Engineering continues to be one of the most inequitable science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, with longstanding racial gaps in retention and degree completion. A strong sense of belonging is essential for students' persistence, motivation, and well‐being. However, students do not experience a sense of belonging evenly. Purpose This study examines how undergraduate engineering students' value of diversity, sense of belonging, self‐efficacy, and academic engagement relate to their academic plans. Method Survey data were collected from over 600 undergraduate engineering students at multiple US institutions. Using critical structural equation modeling, we tested relationships among value of diversity, sense of belonging, self‐efficacy, academic engagement, and academic plans. Multigroup analyses assessed differences among Asian, Black, Latinx, and White students. Results A sense of belonging in the major was positively associated with self‐efficacy and academic plans, whereas general self‐efficacy was strongly associated with academic engagement. The value of diversity was positively associated with students' major and institutional belonging and indirectly associated with general self‐efficacy through major belonging, but did not have a significant cumulative indirect association with academic plans. Estimated latent means showed variation across racial groups for several constructs. Conclusions Findings underscore the centrality of disciplinary belonging to students' intentions to persist. Efforts to advance equity in engineering must affirm students' identities and embed inclusive practices that foster students' sense of belonging.