Preliminary Findings On Freshmen Engineering Students’ Professional Identity: Implications For Recruitment And Retention

Abstract

Prior to her graduate education, she graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in psychology. She currently serves as a graduate assistant to Dr. Olga Pierrakos working on an NSF funded BRIGE project investigating engineering identity. Olga Pierrakos, James Madison University OLGA PIERRAKOS is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering at James Madison University. Dr. Pierrakos holds a B.S. in Engineering Science and Mechanics, an M.S. in Engineering Mechanics, and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Her interests in engineering education research center around recruitment and retention, understanding engineering students through the lens of identity theory, advancing problem based learning methodologies, assessing student learning, as well as understanding and integrating complex problem solving in undergraduate engineering education. This latter project is funded through her recent NSF CAREER award. Her other research interests lie in cardiovascular fluid mechanics and K-12 engineering education. Jamie Constantz, James Madison University JAMIE CONSTANTZ is a first year graduate student in the School Psychology program at James Madison University. Prior to her graduate studies at James Madison, she graduated from Niagara University with a B.A. in psychology. She currently serves as a graduate assistant to Dr. Olga Pierrakos working on an NSF funded BRIGE project investigating engineering identity.

Engineering Identity across the Mechanical Engineering Major

“…When people perceive a fit between themselves and their environments, they persist longer in those environments [17]- [19]. In engineering, identity is an important factor in people pursuing, persisting, and persevering [16], [20]. Brainard and Carlin's [21] longitudinal study found that freshmen students' identities were better predictors of long-term persistence than even GPAs or self-efficacy.…”

“…Although identity theory has been heavily researched in psychology [4]- [15], [18], [19], [25], it has not been a focus in engineering [16], [20]. Few studies investigate how developing an engineering identity would improve retention of engineering students, especially of women and underrepresented minorities.…”

Board 60: Social Cognitive Impact of Industry internships upon Engineering Technology Students Developing Professional Identity: a Case Study

“… How closely an individual relates to a particular field, profession, or occupation [6].  The relatively stable and enduring constellation of attributes, beliefs, values, motives and experiences in terms of which people define themselves in a professional role [7].…”

Board 31: Engineering with Engineers: Revolutionizing a Mechanical Engineering Department Through Industry Immersion and a Focus on Identity

“…When people perceive a fit between themselves and their fields, they persist longer in those fields [16] - [18]. Hence, identity is a determining factor in one pursuing, persisting, and persevering in engineering [10], [19].…”

“…Identities are further derived through associations, affiliations, and identifications with groups [16], [21]. Tonso [22] observes that identity development is an enculturated process where identities are acquired through "community-based interactions" and Beam et al [19] concur that social contexts affect identity. In engineering education, situated learning is central to identity development [22].…”