SEFI@Work: Reflexivity and Positionality statements

SIG Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Reflexivity and Positionality statements

– examining the impact of our social identities in engineering education research

Date and time: 6 February 2023 10:00 EST/16:00 CET

Engineering education researchers’ social identities – their backgrounds, world views, experiences and biases – have an impact on their research: research topic, epistemology, ontology, methodology, relation to participants, and communication (Secules et al., 2021).

This is particularly important in engineering education research that integrates critical theoretical frameworks (Mejia, Revelo, Villanueva, & Mejia, 2018). Moreover, As Riley et al. (2014) note, many research studies on diversity in engineering education are “well-intentioned, but…somewhat lacking in reflexivity and self-limiting in their impacts” (p. 335). Recently, journals in engineering education started requiring a positionality statement in each paper published. Such is the case of the Journal of Engineering Education and the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering (Martin, Desing, & Borrego, 2002).

In this session, we will discuss the impact of reflexivity and positionality on equity and social justice research.

Speakers:
Stephen Secules. Florida International University, US 
Cassandra McCall. Utah State University, US
Joel Alejandro Mejia. University of Texas at San Antonio, US

References:
Secules, S., McCall, C., Mejia, J. A., Beebe, C., Masters, A. S., L. Sánchez‐Peña, M., &
Svyantek, M. (2021). Positionality practices and dimensions of impact on equity research:
A collaborative inquiry and call to the community. Journal of Engineering Education,
110(1), 19–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20377

Mejia, J. A., Revelo, R. A., Villanueva, I., & Mejia, J. (2018). Critical theoretical frameworks in
engineering education: An anti-deficit and liberative approach. Education Sciences, 8(4),
[158]. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8040158

Riley, D., Slaton, A. E., & Pawley, A. L. (2014). Social justice and inclusion. In A. Johri & B. M.
Olds (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of engineering education research (pp. 335–356).
Cambridge University Press.

Martin, J., Design, R., & Borrego, M. (2022). Positionality statements are just the tip of the
iceberg: moving towards a reflexive process. Journal of Women and Minorities in Science
and Engineering, 28(4), v-vii, doi: 10.1615/JWomenMinorScienEng.2022044277