Understanding How Engineering Identity and Belongingness Predict Grit for First-Generation College Students

This research study uses structural equation modeling to examine how first-generation college students’ engineering identity and sense of belongingness in engineering serve as mediators for students’ grit in terms of persistence of effort and consistency of interest. Results reveal that engineering identity has a positive direct effect on students’ sense of belongingness. Both engineering identity and belongingness have a positive direct effect on persistence of effort but were not significant predictors of consistency of interest. Additionally, belongingness is a mediator between engineering identity and persistence of effort.