Journal of Engineering Education最新文献_第2页

Undergraduate engineering students' perspectives on the intersection of engineering identity, marginalized social identities, and identification with social justice 工科本科生对工程身份、边缘社会身份和社会正义认同的交叉点的看法

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-11-22 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70045

Anne M. McAlister, Juan C. Garibay, Lindsay Wheeler, Jessica L. McDermott

Background

There exists a misconception that social justice does not have a role in engineering. Engineering identity frameworks typically do not integrate concerns for social justice. However, supporting engineering students to incorporate social justice into their engineering identity might empower them to effect social change.

Purpose

We examined undergraduate engineering students' engineering identity, social identity, and identification with social justice, and the relationships between these identities, with the goal of empowering students to engage in social justice as it aligns with their views of themselves and engineering.

Method

We explored counternarratives of four undergraduate engineering students with multiple marginalized social identities after participating in an engineering course focused on social justice via artifacts of coursework and transcripts of semi-structured interviews.

Results

The participants shared how their marginalized social identities made it challenging to see themselves as an engineer. Participants criticized the role of engineering in social oppression and described how separating technical and social aspects of engineering reinforces racism within and through engineering. Social justice was fundamental to participants' views of themselves in relation to engineering, pointing to the existence of a “social justice engineering identity.” All participants believed that engineers need to learn both technical and social aspects of engineering.

Conclusions

Sociotechnical integration is essential in engineering, as devaluing social aspects of engineering does not support students who cannot ignore social justice issues. Further, opportunities to engage in such sociotechnical thinking help students to develop a “social justice engineering identity,” and may support more students to see themselves as engineers.

有一种误解认为社会公正在工程中没有作用。工程身份框架通常不整合对社会正义的关注。然而，支持工程专业学生将社会正义融入他们的工程身份可能会使他们能够影响社会变革。我们研究了工科本科生的工程身份、社会身份和对社会正义的认同，以及这些身份之间的关系，目的是使学生能够参与社会正义，因为这与他们对自己和工程的看法是一致的。方法通过课程作业的人工制品和半结构化访谈的笔录，探讨四名具有多重边缘化社会身份的工科本科生在参加了一门以社会正义为主题的工程课程后的反叙事。结果参与者分享了他们被边缘化的社会身份如何使他们很难将自己视为一名工程师。与会者批评了工程在社会压迫中的作用，并描述了工程的技术和社会方面的分离如何在工程内部和通过工程强化种族主义。社会正义是参与者对自己与工程相关的看法的基础，指出存在“社会正义工程身份”。所有与会者都认为，工程师需要学习工程的技术和社会两个方面。社会技术整合在工程中是必不可少的，因为贬低工程的社会方面并不能支持不能忽视社会正义问题的学生。此外，参与这种社会技术思维的机会有助于学生发展“社会正义工程身份”，并可能支持更多的学生将自己视为工程师。

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引用次数: 0

Witnessing “De-Socialization”: Investigating unexpected longitudinal trends in engineering doctoral socialization 目睹“去社会化”：调查工程博士社会化的意外纵向趋势

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-11-19 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70040

Kyeonghun Jwa, Catherine G. P. Berdanier

Background

Graduate-level education is gaining attention in engineering education scholarship. While “socialization” is a key term in doctoral literature, little is known about how socialization occurs over time. One common assumption asserts that socialization increases over time, encompassing factors such as belongingness, research ability, and advisor relationship as students acclimate to the norms and values of their advisors, departments, universities, and disciplines. We investigate engineering doctoral student socialization trends: students likely to complete their degrees and those who have questioned whether to persist in their programs. Understanding these trends is essential, as many students consider leaving their programs.

Purpose/Hypothesis

This paper aims to understand how socialization processes occur over several years in engineering students who questioned leaving their PhD programs.

Design/Method

We present longitudinal survey data collected from two cohorts (N_A = 113 and N_B = 355) of engineering doctoral students at R1 universities in the United States. Data were collected over 2 years through SMS surveys with participants receiving text messages three times per week. We analyzed data using descriptive and time series analysis methods.

Results

Both cohorts showed lower levels of belongingness over time, reported declining advisor relationships, and experienced higher levels of stress. Students later in their programs also reported deteriorating overall social relationships. These findings contradict canonical socialization theory, which expects socialization to naturally improve over time.

Conclusion

While many assume socialization occurs passively and students acculturate into their department and research team over time, our results show students who question whether to persist are de-socializing from graduate school.

研究生阶段的教育是工程教育学术界关注的热点。虽然“社会化”是博士文献中的一个关键术语，但人们对社会化是如何随着时间的推移而发生的知之甚少。一种常见的假设认为社会化会随着时间的推移而增加，包括归属感、研究能力和导师关系等因素，因为学生会适应他们的导师、院系、大学和学科的规范和价值观。我们调查了工程博士生的社会化趋势：可能完成学位的学生和那些质疑是否坚持他们的课程的学生。了解这些趋势是至关重要的，因为许多学生考虑离开他们的专业。目的/假设本论文旨在了解社会化过程是如何发生在那些质疑离开博士课程的工科学生身上的。设计/方法本研究收集了来自美国R1所大学工程博士研究生的两组纵向调查数据（NA = 113, NB = 355）。数据是在两年多的时间里通过短信调查收集的，参与者每周收到三次短信。我们使用描述性和时间序列分析方法分析数据。结果随着时间的推移，两组人的归属感水平都有所下降，与导师的关系也有所下降，压力水平也有所提高。在课程后期学习的学生也报告了整体社会关系的恶化。这些发现与规范的社会化理论相矛盾，该理论认为社会化会随着时间的推移而自然改善。虽然许多人认为社会化是被动的，学生随着时间的推移会适应他们的部门和研究团队，但我们的研究结果表明，质疑是否坚持的学生在研究生院是去社会化的。

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引用次数: 0

Intersections between ethics and diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering practice: Insights from practitioners' mental models 工程实践中伦理与多样性、公平和包容的交叉点：来自实践者心智模型的见解

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-11-10 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70042

Justin L. Hess, Sowmya Panuganti, Isil Anakok

Background

Ethics and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are critical aspects of engineering, and connections between ethics/DEI are becoming increasingly common place in engineering education and practice. For example, many engineering professional organizations have integrated DEI into their codes of ethics.

Purpose

Given the rise of ethics/DEI connections, we address the research question, “How are engineering ethics and DEI related based on mental models elicited from a diverse cross-section of industrial practitioners who bring expertise in ethics and/or DEI?”

Methodology/Approach

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 engineering practitioners in 2022 and 2023. Participants depicted how they perceived ethics and DEI to connect in engineering through semi-structured interviews that included a drawing activity. We thematically analyzed participants' drawings regarding how ethics/DEI connect in engineering and participants' associated verbal descriptions.

Findings

We generated seven themes: (1) DEI is an ethical value in engineering; (2) DEI promotes ethical practice in engineering; (3) ethics/DEI shape interpersonal encounters; (4) ethics/DEI shape engineering processes and outcomes; (5) engineering ethics is increasingly and explicitly integrating DEI; (6) context informs how ethics/DEI connect in engineering; and (7) promoting DEI in engineering is a challenge.

Implications

This study adds to the body of knowledge regarding ethics and DEI in engineering and can enrich future research and practice in both domains by explicating interrelations between the two. This work provides empirical support for engineers, engineering educators, and engineering organizations regarding why it is important to elevate both ethics and DEI in engineering and how to do so.

伦理和多样性、公平和包容（DEI）是工程的关键方面，伦理和DEI之间的联系在工程教育和实践中变得越来越普遍。例如，许多工程专业组织已经将DEI整合到他们的道德准则中。鉴于伦理/DEI联系的兴起，我们提出了一个研究问题，“基于从具有伦理和/或DEI专业知识的不同行业从业者中得出的心理模型，工程伦理和DEI是如何相关的？”我们在2022年和2023年对25名工程从业者进行了半结构化访谈。参与者通过包括绘图活动的半结构化访谈描述了他们如何感知道德和DEI在工程中的联系。我们按主题分析了参与者关于工程中伦理/DEI如何联系的图纸以及参与者相关的口头描述。我们得出了七个主题：(1)DEI是工程中的伦理价值；(2) DEI促进工程伦理实践；(3)伦理/DEI塑造人际交往；(4)伦理/DEI塑造工程过程和结果；(5)工程伦理越来越明确地整合DEI；(6)环境决定了伦理与DEI在工程中的联系；(7)在工程中推广DEI是一个挑战。本研究增加了关于工程伦理和DEI的知识体系，并可以通过解释两者之间的相互关系来丰富这两个领域的未来研究和实践。这项工作为工程师、工程教育工作者和工程组织提供了经验支持，说明为什么在工程中提高道德和DEI是重要的，以及如何做到这一点。

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引用次数: 0

Isolation, stressors, and resiliency: Examining the experiences of a transgender woman in engineering 孤立，压力源和弹性：检查工程中变性女性的经历

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-11-06 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70044

Brandon Bakka, Jill Castle, Flora Makowka, Maura Borrego

Background

Recent anti-trans legislation reflects societal discrimination that extends to college campuses, negatively impacting the mental health and persistence of transgender students. Engineering is documented to be particularly hostile to trans and other LGBTQ+ students, but the experiences of transgender engineering students are severely understudied.

Purpose

The purpose of this work is to develop a greater understanding of the unique challenges and stressors that TGNC (transgender, gender non-conforming) students face within engineering by analyzing the experiences of a transgender engineering student.

Method

This reflexive thematic analysis focuses on one student's experiences of coming out and social transition experiences while an engineering student. The student, who transitioned socially in the summer prior to the academic year she was interviewed, discussed how transitioning impacted her experiences within engineering. Gender minority stress theory frames the findings.

Results

The student experienced a hostile political climate in a state that did not value her safety or happiness. This broader context, combined with a masculine and heteronormative engineering climate, subtle anti-trans sentiments expressed by peers, and frequent misgendering led to isolation, depression, and pressure to conceal her identity. After transitioning, she felt more othered by men students but experienced positive mental health impacts and closer relationships with women engineering students.

Conclusions

The burden of persisting in engineering should not fall entirely to TGNC students who may be struggling with belonging and mental health. Even in challenging political environments, engineering faculty can signal their support of trans students through use of pronouns and inclusive examples that do not reinforce binary gender and heteronormativity.

最近的反跨性别立法反映了社会歧视延伸到大学校园，对跨性别学生的心理健康和持久性产生了负面影响。据记载，工程学对跨性别学生和其他LGBTQ+学生尤其不友好，但对跨性别工程学学生的经历却严重缺乏研究。本研究的目的是通过分析一名跨性别工程学生的经历，更好地理解TGNC（跨性别，性别不符合标准）学生在工程领域面临的独特挑战和压力源。方法对一名工科学生的出柜经历和社会转型经历进行反身性专题分析。这名学生在接受采访的学年之前的夏天进行了社会转型，她讨论了转型如何影响了她在工程领域的经历。性别少数群体压力理论构成了研究结果的框架。结果这名学生在一个不重视她的安全或幸福的国家经历了一个充满敌意的政治气候。这种更广泛的背景，加上男性化和异性恋规范的工程氛围，同龄人表达的微妙的反跨性别情绪，以及频繁的性别错误，导致了她的孤立、抑郁和隐藏身份的压力。变性后，她感受到男学生更多的关爱，但心理健康也受到了积极的影响，与女工科学生的关系也更密切了。结论坚持工程的负担不应该完全落在TGNC学生身上，他们可能正在与归属感和心理健康作斗争。即使在充满挑战的政治环境中，工程学院也可以通过使用代词和包容性的例子来表达他们对跨性别学生的支持，这些例子不会强化二元性别和异性恋规范。

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引用次数: 0

Difficulties in understanding the transition between database design stages: An experiment from a semantic distance perspective 理解数据库设计阶段之间转换的困难：从语义距离角度的实验

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-10-21 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70038

Shin-Shing Shin, Yu-Shan Lin, Yi-Cheng Chen, Wei-Ru Chiou

Background

Learners of database courses usually encounter difficulties in building entity-relationship (ER) models and relational models for database problems. These difficulties may arise because of semantic gaps between the stages of database design. To investigate this issue, we employed semantic network theory—particularly the concept of semantic distance—as an analytical framework.

Hypothesis

We hypothesized that (i) the transition from business requirements to ER models involves a greater semantic distance than the ER-to-relational conversion, and (ii) this greater distance results in imprecise semantic elaboration, leading to lower learning performance.

Method

An experiment was designed in which participants, drawn from a database course, completed two sequential translation tasks: (a) business requirements to ER models, and (b) ER models to relational models. Participants' performances were assessed through problem-solving effectiveness and efficiency measures.

Results

The problem-solving effectiveness and efficiency of task (b) surpassed those of task (a), suggesting that task (a) entailed greater semantic distance and less precise elaboration of semantic relationships than task (b).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that semantic distance and semantic elaboration are critical factors in database design education, aligning with semantic network theory. Instruction should reduce semantic distance and pay more attention to the teaching of the business requirement to ER model transition. This may prompt scholars to develop more effective teaching methods for database design learning from the perspective of semantic distance.

数据库课程的学习者通常在为数据库问题建立实体关系模型和关系模型时遇到困难。这些困难可能是由于数据库设计阶段之间的语义差距造成的。为了研究这个问题，我们采用语义网络理论——特别是语义距离的概念——作为分析框架。我们假设：(i)从业务需求到ER模型的转换比从ER到关系模型的转换涉及更大的语义距离，（ii）这种更大的距离导致不精确的语义细化，从而导致较低的学习性能。方法设计了一项实验，参与者从数据库课程中抽取，完成两个顺序翻译任务：(a)业务需求到ER模型，(b) ER模型到关系模型。参与者的表现通过解决问题的有效性和效率指标进行评估。结果任务(b)的问题解决效果和效率超过任务(a)，说明任务(a)比任务(b)需要更大的语义距离和更少的语义关系的精确阐述。结论语义距离和语义精细化是数据库设计教育的关键因素，与语义网络理论一致。教学中应减少语义距离，更加注重业务需求向ER模型转换的教学。这可能会促使学者从语义距离的角度开发更有效的数据库设计学习教学方法。

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引用次数: 0

Comparing forward and reverse engineering design approaches: Lag sequential and epistemic network analyses of student learning 正向与逆向工程设计方法之比较：学生学习的滞后序贯与认知网络分析

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-10-20 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70039

Yu-Hung Chien, Chia-Yu Liu, Cheng-Shiun Tsai

Background

There is a growing emphasis on integrating engineering design into K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Prior studies have primarily examined the impact of engineering design on student learning outcomes or employed frequency-based static statistical analyses, rather than focusing on student learning processes—that is, what students actually did and thought during engineering design courses.

Purpose/Hypotheses

This study explored the effects of two prominent engineering design approaches, forward and reverse, on learning outcomes and learning processes.

Design/Method

A mixed-methods quasi-experiment was conducted with a purposive sample of 52 11th-grade students enrolled in a mechatronics engineering design course. One class engaged in the forward engineering teaching condition (F-class; n = 28) and the other in the reverse engineering teaching condition (R-class; n = 24).

Results

Mann–Whitney U tests indicated that the two conditions exhibited no significant differences in overall design solutions. However, the R-class surpassed the F-class in understandability and organic qualities, using the creative product analysis matrix. The Mann–Whitney U test showed that the R-class scored significantly higher on mechatronics content knowledge than the F-class. Lag sequential analysis and epistemic network analysis revealed distinct differences in engineering design behavior, engineering design reflection, and cognitive action between the conditions.

Conclusions

These findings underscore the importance of applying multiple analytical lenses to examine outcomes and processes in engineering design learning. They offer practical implications for developing secondary-level engineering design curricula that support students' design solutions, conceptual understanding, design behavior, design reflection, and higher order cognitive action.

人们越来越强调将工程设计融入K-12科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教育。之前的研究主要是考察工程设计对学生学习成果的影响，或者采用基于频率的静态统计分析，而不是关注学生的学习过程——也就是说，学生在工程设计课程中实际做了什么和想了什么。目的/假设本研究探讨了正向和反向两种主要的工程设计方法对学习结果和学习过程的影响。设计/方法采用混合方法进行准实验，目的样本为52名11年级机电一体化工程设计专业学生。一个班从事正向工程教学条件（f班，n = 28），另一个班从事逆向工程教学条件（r班，n = 24）。结果Mann-Whitney U检验表明，两种情况在总体设计方案上没有显著差异。然而，使用创意产品分析矩阵，r级在可理解性和有机品质上超过了f级。Mann-Whitney U检验显示，r级学生的机电一体化内容知识得分显著高于f级学生。滞后序列分析和认知网络分析揭示了不同条件下工程设计行为、工程设计反思和认知行为的显著差异。这些发现强调了应用多种分析视角来检查工程设计学习的结果和过程的重要性。它们为开发二级工程设计课程提供了实际意义，这些课程支持学生的设计解决方案、概念理解、设计行为、设计反思和更高层次的认知行动。

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引用次数: 0

Using generative AI for large-scale qualitative analysis of social media posts to understand why people leave computer science 使用生成式人工智能对社交媒体帖子进行大规模定性分析，以了解人们离开计算机科学的原因

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-09-30 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70036

Amanda Ross, Andrew Katz

Background

Computer science faces a persistent attrition problem, with people leaving the field at a rate that exceeds new entrants. Given the increasing demand for computing jobs, it is essential to focus on reducing the number of individuals exiting the field.

Purpose

This study investigates why individuals leave the computer science field across various stages and contexts, addressing two questions: (1) What are the reasons for leaving? (2) What external factors influence these decisions?

Method

This large-scale qualitative study collected over 10,000 Reddit posts using keyword-based scraping. Using generative AI, we refined the dataset, filtering it down to 263 relevant posts. Generative AI was then used for thematic analysis on this subset of posts, utilizing the established GATOS method. We extend this approach by integrating a human-in-the-loop process to contextualize the identified themes within social cognitive career theory.

Results

Findings reveal diverse reasons for leaving, including job dissatisfaction, interests in other fields, psychological factors, academic challenges, health concerns, and industry issues. Influential factors include background, transition requirements, alternative field characteristics, and personal circumstances. Although the extent varied, all of these reasons and factors were observed at every departure stage.

Conclusions

These findings provide important insights that can help inform industry and academic policies and practices. Additionally, we contribute to the development of more efficient, scalable workflows for future qualitative research using generative AI.

计算机科学面临着一个持续的人员流失问题，人们离开这个领域的速度超过了新进入者。鉴于对计算机工作的需求不断增加，有必要将重点放在减少退出该领域的个人数量上。本研究调查了个人在不同阶段和背景下离开计算机科学领域的原因，解决了两个问题：(1)离开的原因是什么？(2)哪些外部因素影响这些决策？方法本研究采用基于关键词的抓取技术，收集了1万多条Reddit帖子。使用生成式人工智能，我们改进了数据集，将其过滤到263个相关帖子。然后使用生成式人工智能对该帖子子集进行主题分析，利用已建立的GATOS方法。我们通过整合人在循环过程来扩展这种方法，将社会认知职业理论中确定的主题置于背景中。研究结果显示，学生离职的原因多种多样，包括对工作不满意、对其他领域的兴趣、心理因素、学业挑战、健康问题和行业问题。影响因素包括背景、过渡要求、替代领域特征和个人情况。虽然程度不同，但在每个出发阶段都观察到所有这些原因和因素。这些发现提供了重要的见解，可以帮助告知行业和学术政策和实践。此外，我们还利用生成式人工智能为未来的定性研究开发更高效、可扩展的工作流程。

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引用次数: 0

Artificial intelligence in engineering education research: Using machine learning models to predict undergraduate engineering students' persistence to graduation 人工智能在工程教育研究中的应用：利用机器学习模型预测工程本科学生的毕业坚持性

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-09-25 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70034

Ibukun Osunbunmi, Taiwo Feyijimi, Stephanie Cutler, Yashin Brijmohan, Lexy Arinze, Viyon Dansu, Bolaji Bamidele, Jennifer Wu, Robert Rabb

Background

Attrition of engineering students continues to be a concern in higher education. Despite indications that students who opt to leave engineering programs may go on to make meaningful contributions in other fields more aligned to their interests, it remains essential to support those who choose to stay in engineering with the necessary resources, mentorship, and enabling environments to thrive.

Purpose

This study explores predictors of persistence to graduation for students in a College of Engineering (CoE), examining pre-college preparation (SAT scores), academic performance in core courses, demographic factors, and engagement in co-curricular activities.

Methods

We analyzed a 10-year dataset (fall 2007 to fall 2016) from a US R1 university's CoE, comprising 16,292 observations. Machine learning techniques, including dimensionality reduction (forward, backward, and unidirectional stepwise regression), explainable artificial intelligence, and predictive modeling (K-nearest neighbors, logistic regression, decision trees, artificial neural networks, and gradient boosting), were applied to identify significant predictors of persistence.

Results

Key predictors of persistence included students' GPAs in their first two years and SAT math. Additional factors, although not consistently ranked highly by all models, include performance in PHYS 211, CHM 110, and MAT 140 (Physics 1, Chemistry 1, and Calculus 1, respectively). Demographics and engaging in co-curricular activities also contribute to persistence, although not as significantly as academic factors.

Conclusion

Findings from the machine learning models extend Tinto's theory of persistence, and identify key factors that predict engineering students' persistence to graduation. We recommend that institutions engage in strategic planning and policymaking as part of their collective effort to reduce engineering student attrition.

工科学生的流失一直是高等教育中一个令人担忧的问题。尽管有迹象表明，选择离开工程专业的学生可能会在其他更符合他们兴趣的领域做出有意义的贡献，但仍然有必要为那些选择留在工程专业的学生提供必要的资源、指导和有利的环境，让他们茁壮成长。本研究探讨了工程学院（CoE）学生坚持毕业的预测因素，考察了大学前准备（SAT分数）、核心课程的学习成绩、人口统计学因素和参与课外活动。我们分析了来自美国R1大学CoE的10年数据集（2007年秋季至2016年秋季），包括16,292个观测值。机器学习技术，包括降维（前向、后向和单向逐步回归）、可解释的人工智能和预测建模（k近邻、逻辑回归、决策树、人工神经网络和梯度增强），被用于识别持久性的重要预测因子。结果坚持的关键预测因素包括学生前两年的gpa和SAT数学。其他因素，虽然不是所有模型都排在很高的位置，包括物理211，CHM 110和MAT 140（分别是物理1，化学1和微积分1）的表现。人口统计和参与课外活动也有助于坚持，尽管没有学术因素那么重要。机器学习模型的发现扩展了Tinto的坚持理论，并确定了预测工程专业学生坚持到毕业的关键因素。我们建议各院校参与战略规划和政策制定，作为减少工程专业学生流失的集体努力的一部分。

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引用次数: 0

“More conceptual than actual”: Epistemic metacognition in response to a non-numerical statics question “概念多于实际”：对一个非数值静态问题的认知元认知

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-09-16 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70035

Lorena S. Grundy, Milo D. Koretsky

Background

Metacognitive processes have been linked to the development of conceptual knowledge in STEM courses, but previous work has centered on the regulatory aspects of metacognition.

Purpose

We interrogated the relationship between epistemic metacognition and conceptual knowledge in engineering statics courses across six universities by asking students a difficult concept question with concurrent reflection prompts that elicited their metacognitive thinking.

Method

We used a mixed-methods design containing an embedded phase followed by an explanatory phase. This design allowed us to both prompt and measure student epistemic metacognition within the learning context. The embedded phase consisted of quantitative and qualitative analyses of student responses. The explanatory phase consisted of an analysis of six instructor interviews.

Results

Analysis of 267 student responses showed greater variation in students' epistemic metacognition than in their ability to answer correctly. Students used different kinds of epistemic metacognitive resources about the nature and origin of knowledge, epistemological forms, epistemological activities, and stances toward knowledge. These resources generally assembled into one of two frames: a constructed knowledge framing valuing conceptual knowledge and sense-making, and an authoritative knowledge framing foregrounding numerical, algorithmic problem-solving. All six instructors interviewed described resources that align with both frames, and none explicitly considered student epistemic metacognition.

Conclusions

Instructors' explicit attention to epistemic metacognition can potentially shift students to more productive frames for engineering learning. Findings here also inform two broader issues in STEM instruction: student resistance to active learning, and the direct instruction versus inquiry-based learning debate.

元认知过程与STEM课程中概念知识的发展有关，但之前的工作主要集中在元认知的调节方面。目的通过向六所大学的工程静力学课程的学生提问一个复杂的概念问题，并同时提出反思提示，以激发他们的元认知思维，探讨认知元认知与概念知识之间的关系。方法采用混合方法设计，包括一个嵌入阶段和一个解释阶段。这种设计使我们能够在学习情境中提示和测量学生的认知元认知。嵌入阶段包括对学生反应的定量和定性分析。解释阶段包括对六个教师访谈的分析。结果对267名学生的回答进行分析，发现学生的认识论元认知差异大于正确回答能力差异。学生对知识的性质和起源、认识论形式、认识论活动和对知识的立场使用了不同种类的认识论元认知资源。这些资源通常组合成两个框架之一：一个是重视概念知识和意义构建的构建知识框架，另一个是重视数值、算法问题解决的权威知识框架。所有接受采访的六名教师都描述了与这两个框架一致的资源，没有一个明确考虑到学生的认知元认知。结论：教师对认识论元认知的明确关注可以潜在地将学生转变为更有效的工程学习框架。这里的研究结果还揭示了STEM教学中的两个更广泛的问题：学生对主动学习的抵制，以及直接教学与基于探究的学习的争论。

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引用次数: 0

Factors affecting students' sense of inclusion in the undergraduate engineering program at Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland) 影响奥克兰大学本科工程专业学生融入感的因素

IF 3.4 2区工程技术 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of Engineering Education

Pub Date : 2025-09-16 DOI: 10.1002/jee.70029

Priyanka Dhopade, James Tizard, Penelope Watson, Ashleigh Fox, Tom Allen, Hazim Namik, Aryan Karan, Rituparna Roy, Kelly Blincoe

Background

Women, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQIA+ people have historically been excluded from the engineering profession. When they do pursue engineering, they often face challenges within both education and industry. Retention is a growing issue; for example, women in industry have significantly higher turnover rates than men.

Purpose/Hypothesis

Feelings of belonging, satisfaction, and perceptions of one's future career are important for retention in engineering education. However, little is known about the factors that impact these constructs in tertiary education—where foundational engineering experiences occur—for a range of potentially intersectional social identities in contexts other than the United States.

Methods

We designed an online questionnaire (n = 379) and a series of focus groups (n = 17) with engineering students at Waipapa Taumata Rau (The University of Auckland) in Aotearoa (New Zealand). We applied thematic analysis to extract a list of common factors that influenced students' experiences in this unique context.

Results

Students who were unsure of or did not want to disclose parts of their identity reported the lowest sense of belonging and satisfaction. The factors that specifically impacted historically excluded groups included unsupportive working environments, not being respected academically, and exclusionary course content.

Conclusion

Our findings identify factors that contributed to students' experiences that may impact retention in Aotearoa but have implications for other contexts. Finally, we make recommendations to engineering education practitioners on how to support (and retain) students from historically excluded groups, including dedicated learning and social environments, inclusive course content, and awareness education on inclusivity.

历史上，女性、少数民族和LGBTQIA+人群一直被排除在工程专业之外。当他们追求工程时，他们经常面临教育和行业的挑战。留存率是一个日益严重的问题；例如，工业界女性的离职率明显高于男性。目的/假设归属感、满足感和对未来职业的认知对工程教育的保留很重要。然而，对于影响高等教育（基础工程经验发生的地方）中这些结构的因素，我们所知甚少，因为在美国以外的环境中，有一系列潜在的交叉社会身份。方法我们设计了一份在线问卷（n = 379）和一系列焦点小组（n = 17），调查对象是新西兰奥特罗阿的Waipapa Taumata Rau（奥克兰大学）的工科学生。我们应用主题分析来提取影响学生在这一独特背景下经历的共同因素列表。结果不确定或不愿透露部分身份的学生的归属感和满意度最低。特别影响历史上被排斥群体的因素包括不支持的工作环境，不受学术尊重，以及排他性的课程内容。结论：我们的研究结果确定了影响学生在Aotearoa中记忆的因素，但对其他情况也有影响。最后，我们就如何支持（和留住）历史上被排斥群体的学生向工程教育从业者提出建议，包括专门的学习和社会环境、包容性课程内容和包容性意识教育。

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引用次数: 0