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| Autor/in | Mora, Michelle |
|---|---|
| Titel | Undergraduate Engineering Students' Agency in Professional Socialization: Evidence from a Capstone Design Lab |
| Quelle | (2019), (181 Seiten)
PDF als Volltext Ph.D. Dissertation, State University of New York at Albany |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Dokumenttyp | gedruckt; online; Monographie |
| ISBN | 978-1-3921-6355-9 |
| Schlagwörter | Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Engineering Education; Undergraduate Students; Personal Autonomy; Socialization; Capstone Experiences; Technical Occupations; Professional Identity; Outcomes of Education; Extracurricular Activities; College Faculty; Student Attitudes; Teacher Attitudes; New York |
| Abstract | Two national priorities were instrumental in this study of an undergraduate engineering program: (1) Higher education's roles and responsibilities for the preparation of a workforce competent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and (2) Accountability-related questions regarding the value-added effects of professional education programs on aspiring STEM students. A recent report suggests that policy makers and the public do not know whether current initiatives are accomplishing their goals and leading to nationwide improvements in undergraduate STEM education (Committee on Developing Indicators for Undergraduate STEM Education et al., 2018). One reason is that national, state, and institutional undergraduate data systems often are not structured to gather the information needed to understand how well the undergraduate system and institutions of higher education are serving students (Committee on Barriers and Opportunities in Completing 2-Year and 4-Year STEM Degrees et al., 2016). The current study was designed and conducted in response to these needs. It proceeded with an exploratory design founded on an innovative conceptual framework. Innovative elements included: (1) An operational distinction between professional socialization and professional education; (2) The influence and effects of undergraduate engineering students' anticipatory socialization, starting with their choice of this profession; (3) Students' agency, i.e., the choices they make and the socialization strategies they develop; (4) Two kinds of professional socialization mechanisms that derive from student agency: Co-curricular experiences and extra-curricular enrichment opportunities elected by students; (5) Representative engineering faculty members' views and espoused ideals for the professional education experience, with special reference to a capstone experience called the design lab; and (6) A new conceptual model for the relationship between professional socialization and professional education, one that prioritized the program's signature pedagogy (Shulman, 2005), the formal curriculum design, and the influence of the national accrediting agency on both. An undergraduate engineering program at a mid-sized private research university in New York state was the study site. The investigation was structured by five main research questions: (1) How does the undergraduate engineering professional education experience impact students' acceptance and internalization of the profession's norms, values, skills, and dominant work practices? (2) In what ways does student agency mediate and moderate professional education process, content, and outcomes? (3) How does professional education influence a student's social identity as a professional? (4) Are the outcomes reported by students consistent with the espoused outcomes of the undergraduate professional education curriculum? And (5) Are professional education program effects and student identity development influenced by students' co-curricular and extra-curricular experiences? Given this study's exploratory framework, a case study methodology with multiple methods was fit for purpose. Document reviews of four ABET self-studies launched the study to gain preliminary understanding of the professional education program's design and conduct, and with special interest accreditation's influences. Then, three faculty members were interviewed to understand the professional education program's context and key features and particularly to derive their espoused theories for how their program impacted students. Then eleven students were interviewed. All were enrolled in the capstone design lab, i.e., the culminating experience for their professional education program. All interviews were semi-structured, and responses were analyzed using King's (1998) template analysis. Member checks with faculty respondents and a peer debriefer facilitated analysis.Six main conclusions were drawn from this study. (1) Professional education students' agency, both individual and collective, is a consequential component in their professional socialization, and it is an essential concept in research on professional education. (2) Co-curricular and extra-curricular experiences are influential in students' professional education and their overall professional socialization, and both are manifestations of students' agency. (3) Faculty interviews, student interviews, and document reviews of ABET accreditation reports indicated the undergraduate engineering program has intended, beneficial impacts on the undergraduate student participants. (4) Student interview responses reflect faculty members' espoused views of their pedagogies and the curriculum. (5) While professional socialization serves as the umbrella concept for professional education, and when students' agency, both individual and collective, is investigated as part of socialization and formal education, outcomes other than students' technical competence are illuminated and documented. For example, students' agency in creating co-curricular academic and social support networks also may facilitate the social inclusion and integration of women and minority students engineering, once dominated by Caucasian male students. (6) Overall this study facilitated the development of a new model for the study of professional socialization and professional education in engineering--with implications for other professions. [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/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided). |
| Anmerkungen | ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml |
| Erfasst von | ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC |
| Update | 2024/1/01 |
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