A part of 5.3 Inquiry on Teaching and Learning Poster + Talk
Jennifer Campbell, Professor, Teaching Stream, Computer Science, FAS
Michelle Craig, Professor, Teaching Stream, Computer Science, FAS
Andrew Petersen, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Mathematical and Computational Sciences and Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy
Angela Zavaleta-Bernuy, Course Instructor, Computer Science, FAS
The Impostor Phenomenon (IP), identified by Clance and Imes in 1978, is characterized by the feeling that oneself is not as capable or successful as others believe. This feeling has been well documented in multiple fields – such as medicine and in graduate populations – and is thought to be common in high-achieving individuals. However, while common, imposterism can be a barrier to academic achievement and progress, as it may inhibit full participation in the community and increase anxiety.
We examined the prevalence of the IP in computing communities across U of T and found that, as suggested by prior work, a large percentage of our students meet the diagnostic criteria for the IP. Furthermore, we found that students from underrepresented populations may be at particular risk, with women reporting more IP experiences than men and, surprisingly, some domestic students reporting more experiences than international students of the same ethnic background.
These findings underscore the importance of creating welcoming and supportive communities in our disciplines. They also suggest the need to explicitly cultivate a sense of belonging. In this session, we’ll present the results of our study and seek collaborators for examining and addressing these issues more broadly across the university.
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