STEM fields, and engineering disciplines in particular, historically have reflected a traditionalist approach to education. For pre-professional students, this context may be highly competitive, and may include an expectation that undergraduates will sink or swim while making their way through a course progression designed to "weed out" students. For many students, feeling a sense of connectedness may be challenging, particularly for those whose ways of thinking may differ from the dominant norms and values. Students in engineering majors have an attrition rate of almost 50 percent, and the field still does not reflect gender parity. The culture and tradition of engineering classrooms may be a significant factor in these outcomes. Research in engineering education has suggested that certain constructs, such as students' sense of identity and classroom community, may assist educators in understanding how the culture of engineering influences student outcomes. Research also suggests that the formation of an engineering identity is connected with persistence in the major. Using an identity framework adapted for the engineering context, this study explores the intersection of engineering identity and classroom community within the undergraduate engineering context through a multiple case study approach. Engineering identity is examined through the three components of "competence," "performance," and "recognition," while classroom community is explored through the lenses of "learning" and "connectedness." The multiple case study approach, including a cross-case analysis, provides the opportunity to explore themes within each case and to examine commonalities that may transcend each individual case. The findings in this study add to the current understandings about the influences of classroom community on engineering identity, and suggest that attention to fostering a sense of classroom community may support some students' developing engineering identity. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]