Disrupting the status quo: fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post-secondary allyship training

The traditionally male-dominated engineering profession requires greater inclusion and proportional representation of diverse groups to effectively solve complex global challenges. To foster inclusive practices, individuals involved in engineering education, including students, staff, and faculty, c...

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Main Authors: Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley, Rosa Moazed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:FACETS
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Online Access:https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0046
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author Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley
Rosa Moazed
author_facet Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley
Rosa Moazed
author_sort Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley
collection DOAJ
description The traditionally male-dominated engineering profession requires greater inclusion and proportional representation of diverse groups to effectively solve complex global challenges. To foster inclusive practices, individuals involved in engineering education, including students, staff, and faculty, can be engaged, trained, and empowered to serve as “active allies”. In this study, researchers designed and trialed a blended training program meant to support potential allies to adopt a practice of inclusion. The 26 participants in our study included undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty from a Canadian engineering college. Our study incorporated a transformative mixed methods design meant to qualify and quantify the impacts of the allyship course. Our findings show learners’ motivation and allyship competencies progressed because of the psychologically safe learning environment and course content. Additionally, participants experienced the largest improvements in understanding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) language, which resulted in more frequent EDI conversations. However, conducting EDI training without an EDI organizational commitment poses a risk to sustained allyship behaviors. Our findings show that with organizational support, allyship training will promote inclusive behaviors necessary to create innovative, equitable, and diverse organizations—a necessary foundation for solving complex global problems.
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spelling doaj-art-557faaa661894eceaacecfc4d13daa812025-08-20T03:20:36ZengCanadian Science PublishingFACETS2371-16712025-01-011011410.1139/facets-2024-0046Disrupting the status quo: fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post-secondary allyship trainingJocelyn Peltier-Huntley0Rosa Moazed1Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Saskatchewan, CanadaInterdisciplinary Studies, University of Saskatchewan, CanadaThe traditionally male-dominated engineering profession requires greater inclusion and proportional representation of diverse groups to effectively solve complex global challenges. To foster inclusive practices, individuals involved in engineering education, including students, staff, and faculty, can be engaged, trained, and empowered to serve as “active allies”. In this study, researchers designed and trialed a blended training program meant to support potential allies to adopt a practice of inclusion. The 26 participants in our study included undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty from a Canadian engineering college. Our study incorporated a transformative mixed methods design meant to qualify and quantify the impacts of the allyship course. Our findings show learners’ motivation and allyship competencies progressed because of the psychologically safe learning environment and course content. Additionally, participants experienced the largest improvements in understanding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) language, which resulted in more frequent EDI conversations. However, conducting EDI training without an EDI organizational commitment poses a risk to sustained allyship behaviors. Our findings show that with organizational support, allyship training will promote inclusive behaviors necessary to create innovative, equitable, and diverse organizations—a necessary foundation for solving complex global problems.https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0046inclusioncompetenciestraininginterventionshigher educationcommunication
spellingShingle Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley
Rosa Moazed
Disrupting the status quo: fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post-secondary allyship training
FACETS
inclusion
competencies
training
interventions
higher education
communication
title Disrupting the status quo: fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post-secondary allyship training
title_full Disrupting the status quo: fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post-secondary allyship training
title_fullStr Disrupting the status quo: fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post-secondary allyship training
title_full_unstemmed Disrupting the status quo: fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post-secondary allyship training
title_short Disrupting the status quo: fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post-secondary allyship training
title_sort disrupting the status quo fostering a practice of inclusion in engineering through post secondary allyship training
topic inclusion
competencies
training
interventions
higher education
communication
url https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2024-0046
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