Engineering Technology Students: Comparing Recent Survey Responses

Abstract

The general population is unfamiliar with the job prospects or degree content of engineering technology (ET). Further, ET is an understudied subset of STEM, encouraging a recent push by the National Academy of Engineering for more study into this population to encourage program growth and retention of ET students.

“When I talk about it, my eyes light up!” Impacts of a national laboratory internship on community college student success

“…With DOE national laboratories spending over $500 million annually to provide students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty with opportunities to work on technical/research projects, we expected to see these opportunities well represented in the research literature (DOE, 2017). In the past few decades, there have been numerous technical and meeting reports, conference papers, and abstracts published about STEM education and outreach activities at DOE national laboratories, and a small number of peer-reviewed publications on the subject (e.g., Barajas et al, 2019;Hahn et al, 2018;Kolsky, 2005;Lincoln et al, 2019;Rippy & Joseph, 2022;Russell, 2011;Sahyun et al, 2006;Wurstner et al, 2005).…”

“…With DOE national laboratories spending over $500 million annually to provide students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty with opportunities to work on technical/research projects, we expected to see these opportunities well represented in the research literature (DOE, 2017). In the past few decades, there have been numerous technical and meeting reports, conference papers, and abstracts published about STEM education and outreach activities at DOE national laboratories, and a small number of peer-reviewed publications on the subject (e.g., Barajas et al, 2019; Hahn et al, 2018; Kolsky, 2005; Lincoln et al, 2019; Rippy & Joseph, 2022; Russell, 2011; Sahyun et al, 2006; Wurstner et al, 2005). Although researchers who collect data from people and plan to share this information through publications or presentations are required to provide evidence of review/guidance from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), we are not aware of any previously published studies that include data from program participants in DOE national laboratory programs and documentation of IRB review.…”

“…In the past few decades, some technical and meeting reports, conference papers, and abstracts have been published about STEM education and outreach activities at DOE national laboratories, and a small number of peer-reviewed publications on the subject. [69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76] Beyond this, educational scholars at baccalaureate granting institutions -who produce the majority of studies about internships and research experiences for STEM students -rarely mention educational opportunities at national laboratories in their work. With national laboratories spending over $500 million annually to provide students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty with opportunities to work on technical/research projects, an increase in the representation of these opportunities in scholarly literature would benefit funders, host institutions, and participants.…”