{"678778":{"#nid":"678778","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SCI Lecturer Presents Research Exploring the Impostor Phenomenon in CS","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe impostor phenomenon, where individuals doubt their accomplishments despite evident success, is a significant issue among computer science (CS) students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Computing Instruction (SCI) Lecturer \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pfeijoo.com\/\u0022\u003EPedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E recently presented research at the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Frontiers in Education conference in Washington, D.C., examining the prevalence and impact of the impostor phenomenon in CS students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team included SCI Chair \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/olufisayo-omojokun\u0022\u003EOlufisayo Omojokun\u003C\/a\u003E, University of Florida Instructional Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cise.ufl.edu\/siqueira-alexandre-gomes-de\/\u0022\u003EAlexandre Gomes de Siqueira\u003C\/a\u003E, and University of Florida alumnus \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dlxtomas\/\u0022\u003ETom\u00e1s Delclaux Rodr\u00edguez-Rey\u003C\/a\u003E. They surveyed more than 500 undergraduate students from both institutions to understand how feelings of self-doubt and fraudulence affect academic performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKey Findings\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study found that over 60% of students reported experiencing impostor feelings, with higher rates among female participants. At Georgia Tech, 63% of students reported these feelings, with 68% of female students affected, compared to 62% of males and 29% of other gender identities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the University of Florida, these rates were higher for females (80%) and lower for males (57%), while students of other gender identities experienced impostor phenomenon at 67%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMore than 60% of participants reported impostor feelings, which is significant,\u201d Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda said. \u201cComputer science students, among STEM populations, are at the highest risk of mental well-being issues.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInstitutional and Demographic Variations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team analyzed data from CS students at Georgia Tech and the University of Florida to see how institutional background impacts impostor phenomenon scores.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur findings suggest that the institution does play a role, likely influenced by factors such as state policies, diversity initiatives, and community demographics,\u201d Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir research revealed differences in impostor feelings based on gender, institutional environment, and race.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, students of other gender identities showed stark institutional differences: 29% at Georgia Tech versus 67% at the University of Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found some differences when analyzing the interplay of institutional background and gender, and also some differences from the experiences of Afro-Black American students,\u201d Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study revealed differing trends between the two institutions for Afro\/Black American participants. At Georgia Tech, only 23% of Afro\/Black American students reported experiencing \u0022frequent\u0022 or \u0022intense\u0022 impostor feelings. In contrast, this rate was predominantly higher at 75% at the University of Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers noted that these differences might stem from the varying representation and socio-cultural dynamics in the states where the institutions are located. These findings underscore the importance of developing targeted interventions to address the unique challenges faced by students from diverse backgrounds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding Community and Collaboration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key theme from the study was the role of community in alleviating impostor feelings. Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda emphasized the importance of supportive academic environments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe suggests that fostering more collaboration and community among students early in the curriculum could help address their feelings of impostorhood by allowing them to share experiences with their peers and letting them know they are not alone in their journey.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFuture Directions: Expanding Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELooking ahead, the research team plans to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/researchers-explore-hidden-curricula-cs-scis-first-nsf-grant\u0022\u003Eexplore the role of \u201chidden curricula\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014the unspoken expectations and norms embedded in academic environments\u2014in contributing to CS students\u2019 mental well-being.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u2019s important to let students know they\u2019re not alone. When two top public institutions show this prevalence, it indicates systemic issues that educators need to address,\u0022 Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy highlighting the interplay of gender, race, and institutional context, the study calls for a culturally informed approach to addressing the impostor phenomenon, ensuring all students can excel in an equitable and supportive academic environment.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The impostor phenomenon, where individuals doubt their accomplishments despite evident success, is a significant issue among computer science (CS) students. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe impostor phenomenon, where individuals doubt their accomplishments despite evident success, is a significant issue among computer science (CS) students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Computing Instruction (SCI) Lecturer \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pfeijoo.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E recently presented research at the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Frontiers in Education conference in Washington, D.C., examining the prevalence and impact of the impostor phenomenon in CS students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team included SCI Chair \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/olufisayo-omojokun\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOlufisayo Omojokun\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, University of Florida Instructional Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cise.ufl.edu\/siqueira-alexandre-gomes-de\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexandre Gomes de Siqueira\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and University of Florida alumnus \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dlxtomas\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETom\u00e1s Delclaux Rodr\u00edguez-Rey\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. They surveyed more than 500 undergraduate students from both institutions to understand how feelings of self-doubt and fraudulence affect academic performance.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of Computing Instruction (SCI) Lecturer Pedro Guillermo Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda recently presented research at the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Frontiers in Education conference in Washington, D.C., examining the prevalence a"}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2024-12-06 17:06:06","changed_gmt":"2024-12-06 17:08:47","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675786":{"id":"675786","type":"image","title":"Media (33).jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFeij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda presented research at the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Frontiers in Education conference in Washington, D.C.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733504779","gmt_created":"2024-12-06 17:06:19","changed":"1733504779","gmt_changed":"2024-12-06 17:06:19","alt":"Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda presented research at the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Frontiers in Education conference in Washington, D.C.","file":{"fid":"259452","name":"Media (33).jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/06\/Media%20%2833%29.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/06\/Media%20%2833%29.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":285330,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/06\/Media%20%2833%29.jpeg?itok=zkCVktof"}},"675787":{"id":"675787","type":"image","title":"Media (32).jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFeij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda presented research at the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Frontiers in Education conference in Washington, D.C.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733504779","gmt_created":"2024-12-06 17:06:19","changed":"1733504779","gmt_changed":"2024-12-06 17:06:19","alt":"Feij\u00f3o Garc\u00eda presented research at the 2024 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Frontiers in Education conference in Washington, D.C.","file":{"fid":"259453","name":"Media (32).jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/06\/Media%20%2832%29.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/06\/Media%20%2832%29.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":272058,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/06\/Media%20%2832%29.jpeg?itok=zNhjByYr"}}},"media_ids":["675786","675787"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}