Impact of an Engineering Mentorship Program on African-American Male High School Students’ Perceptions and Self-Efficacy

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an engineering mentorship program on African-American male high school students’ perceptions of engineering as a viable career choice. In this study, indicators included students’ perceptions of engineering, their self-efficacy in the area of mathematics, and their self-efficacy in the area of science. Using an independent t-test to determine a difference of statistical significance, inferential statistics were provided to answer the following research questions: (a) Is there a significant difference in perceptions of engineering for students who participated in the NCETE/NSBE mentorship program when compared with non-mentored students?, (b) Is there a significant difference in self-efficacy in the area of mathematics for students who participated in the NCETE/NSBE mentorship when compared with non-mentored students?, and (c) Is there a significant difference in selfefficacy in the area of science for students who participated in Cameron D. Denson is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education at Utah State University. He can be reached at [email protected]. Roger B. Hill is a Professor and Department Head of the Workforce Education, Leadership and Social Foundations at the University of Georgia. He can be reached at [email protected]. 100 JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL TEACHER EDUCATION the NCETE/NSBE mentorship when compared with nonmentored students?