Background
Engineering programs have high attrition rates, and once in college, students are unlikely to migrate to engineering from other majors. Factors that influence retention must be assessed.
Purpose
This study investigated the relationships of aptitude and personality traits in predicting retention for persisting students, those leaving in good standing, and those leaving in poor standing.
Design/Method
Participants were entering first‐year students from 2007 to 2010. Aptitude was assessed by the Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) placement test as a measure of calculus readiness, Scholastic Aptitude Tests (math and verbal), and high school grade point average (GPA). Personality traits were assessed by the NEO Five‐Factor Inventory and a measure of locus of control. A multinomial logistic regression was performed with students who persisted as the reference group.
Results
Significant aptitude predictors for retention were high school GPA, SAT math, and ALEKS scores. Conscientiousness was the only significant personality factor.
Conclusion
Math skills, especially calculus readiness, were strong predictors of retention. High school academic performance and Conscientiousness were also significant predictors. Application of these findings includes helping students with deficiencies, especially in calculus readiness, as well as fostering an environment that encourages conscientious academic behaviors.
On the basis of J. G. Borkowski, L. K. Chan, and N. Muthukrishna's model of academic success (2000), the present authors hypothesized that freshman retention in an engineering program would be related to not only basic aptitude but also affective factors. Participants were 129 college freshmen with engineering as their stated major. Aptitude was measured by SAT verbal and math scores, high school grade-point average (GPA), and an assessment of calculus readiness. Affective factors were assessed by the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (FFI; P. I. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 2007), and the Nowicki-Duke Locus of Control (LOC) scale (S. Nowicki & M. Duke, 1974). A binary logistic regression analysis found that calculus readiness and high school GPA were predictive of retention. Scores on the Neuroticism and Openness subscales from the NEO-FFI and LOC were correlated with retention status, but Openness was the only affective factor with a significant unique effect in the binary logistic regression. Results of the study lend modest support to Borkowski's model.
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About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Abstract This article presents the design and application of a Modified Sociotechnical Systems (MoSTS) methodology for holistic analysis of complex technical processes. Successes and failures of process redesign initiatives have demonstrated the strong influence of human elements on outcomes. (Sociotechnical Systems) STS provides a foundation for structured analysis and redesign of complex processes which emphasizes human aspects in process redesign. The MoSTS methodology is developed from STS research and practice and applied to analyze a complex technical process in the research and development sector. MoSTS is shown to be an effective methodology to facilitate analysis for process redesign, particularly where human influences may have a significant impact on success. The article concludes with limitations and implications for process analysis based on the MoSTS methodology application.The research register for this journal is available at
This work augments our understanding of faculty perceptions of engineering leadership and its place in engineering curricula. As evident by the scholarly activity, development of a new division within ASEE, and attendance at the sessions for that division, engineering leadership is an area of increasing interest among the engineering education community. However, discussions at a 2015 conference panel appeared to show that this interest is not uniform across all members of the professorate. Based on observations in this session and others, there appears to be a relationship between the faculty member's level of professional experience from outside the academy and his or her degree of commitment to the importance of including engineering leadership in the curriculum. Whether this experience was in a military or industrial setting, it appears to heighten the perceived need for engineering educators to provide methods to develop engineering leadership skills within their undergraduate students.This study investigates this apparent split using two sources of information: the background of authors publishing in recent engineering leadership literature and a national survey of engineering educators. The first source involves analysis of information on authors actively publishing in engineering leadership. Using this information, the paper identifies biographical information common to those who appear to be most engaged in the topic and compares it to existing national faculty profiles. These findings are augmented through national survey of engineering faculty. The survey investigated faculty perceptions on the importance of engineering leadership development and the manner faculty think these materials should be incorporated in engineering curricula. These perceptions are investigated with respect to participant's backgrounds and experiences outside the academy. This work will be of interest to both faculty building commitment for and materials supporting integration of engineering leadership in the curriculum and the engineering leadership profession.
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