Rachel Louis Kajfez

The Use of Motivation Theory in Engineering Education Research: A Systematic Review of Literature.

Motivation is frequently studied in the context of engineering education. However, the use of the term motivation can be inconsistent, both in how clearly it is defined and in how it is implemented in research designs and practice. This systematic literature review investigates the use of motivation across recent engineering education publications. Results show that the majority of engineering education publications referencing motivation as a concept do not provide a clear definition for the term, nor do they draw upon the existing body of literature surrounding motivation. Within the publications that do draw upon motivation literature, we found that a small number of frameworks were most prominent. We believe that both of these factors potentially inhibit the understanding of motivation in engineering education. Therefore, we provide a number of suggestions for how researchers and practitioners can work to rectify these trends.

Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Major Selection in First-Year Engineering Students

Examining major selection and decision making can help us understand the recruitment and retention of engineering students. In majors that have identified overlap in terms of content and future careers, such as Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, it is important to understand the perspectives of students who decide to pursue these majors and if they change their major selection throughout the crucial first-year. This paper discusses results from a survey of engineering students throughout their first year of study. Pre-test, mid-test, and post-test survey results demonstrate that there are differences in certainty of major choice between those that intend to pursue Mechanical Engineering and those that intend to pursue Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, with the latter typically being a higher level of certainty. Open-ended responses highlight the differences in student perceptions of what engineers do in these two disciplines. It is hoped that the knowledge gained through this work may help inform recruitment activities, advising, and first-year engineering curriculum to allow students to make an informed decision about their major and future career.

Examining engineering students' major selection: Developing baseline quantitative results to investigate major selection and change

Improving recruitment and retention are goals of many engineering programs. One factor that is tied strongly to recruitment and retention is a students desire to study engineering in a specific engineering discipline. Some students switch between engineering majors during their undergraduate careers, which could increase their time to degree. Also, depending on the reasons students have for switching, the changes could also impact their motivation and personal commitment to engineering. Not all major changes are due to changes in student preference. Some changes may also result from external influences such as enrollment management. The research presented in this Work in Progress paper will be an initial step towards answering the question: Why and how do students change engineering majors throughout their college career? Through this research, we hope to gain added insights into how engineering students switch between majors so in the future we can seek a better understanding of why they switch.

Comparing common and discipline-specific first-year engineering programs: Examining the need and explaining the study

Work in Progress: Although there exists a variety of first-year engineering (FYE) course structures and content areas, there is little understanding supported by research of which structures or content may be more or less appropriate for novice engineering students compared to others. This Work in Progress addresses the clear need for comparing different FYE programs through a research study. We begin our comparison through the lens of community of practice because community and identity have been linked to current and important engineering issues such as retention. We employ a semi-longitudinal exploratory mixed methods design to investigate two popular FYE program structures. One of the data collection sites utilizes a common first-year and the other site utilizes discipline specific courses for each of separate engineering disciplines. Our research will result in tools that can be used to gather information about engineering community and identity development in different FYE landscapes. This research is relevant to anyone who works with FYE students and those interested in improving FYE through research.

The practical applications of understanding Graduate Teaching Assistant motivation and identity development

As the field of Engineering Education continues to grow so does the number of research studies. In this ever developing field, it is important to understand the practical applications and implications of this growing body of work. This paper discusses the initial practical applications of one study designed to examine the motivation and identity development of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs). Our hope is that by sharing the initial practical applications of our work in the work-in-progress format, we can better define the appropriate applications of this particular study but also contribute to the conversation of research to practice in Engineering Education.