Comparative Analysis of Ph.D. Programs in Engineering Education

Murzi, Homero; Shekhar, Prateek; McNair, Lisa D.

doi:10.18260/p.23707

Cited by 7 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…The information given here is based on the papers by Benson et al [7] and Murzi, Shekhar and McNair [12]; on the information collected during our visit to Virginia Tech and Purdue; and on the websites of the five programmes. This study has the limitation that no confirmation is available about the validity of some information (especially from those European Universities where information exists in English, but some information is available only in their own languages, about which the authors cannot speak).…”

Section: Training Courses Of the Studied Programmesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Training needs for a PhD programme in Engineering Education

López

García

2020

2020 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)

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The field of Engineering Education (EngEd) is a relatively new discipline that is attracting a growing interest all around the world. Despite this interest in research in EngEd, there are still only a few PhD programmes in the area, the oldest being that established in 2004 at Purdue University. Although some research groups exist in Europe, to our knowledge there are only three PhD programmes: those in Aalborg, Chalmers and Uppsala. The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya -Barcelona Tech is a technical University providing degrees only in engineering, sciences and architecture. We have a strong commitment to high-quality education and face the same problems as other technical universities, such as the need to increase student attraction and retention, the development of an engineering identity and the acquisition of the professional competencies required in a global world. While we have been developing research in all those subjects, our next goal is to create a new PhD programme in Engineering, Science and Technology Education, with the first cohort due to begin in September, 2020. The structure of an EngEd PhD programme consists of a unique combination of engineering and education requirements. In order to design our program, we analysed the training courses offered by five programs (at Aalborg, Chalmers, Purdue, Uppsala, and Virginia Tech). This paper presents what we have learnt about the courses and learning objectives of those programmes.

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Section: Training Courses Of the Studied Programmesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Training needs for a PhD programme in Engineering Education

López

García

2020

2020 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON)

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“…Engineering education research is a new and growing discipline that aims to improve the retention and professional skill/competency development of engineering students worldwide. Several US universities have engineering education centers, departments, and doctoral programs to train students and support engineering faculty in their research and pedagogy (Murzi et al, 2015). This is one of the first studies to examine why engineering education researchers may experience impostor phenomenon.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impostor Phenomenon Among Engineering Education Researchers: An Exploratory Study

Chakraverty¹

2021

IJDS

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Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore reasons that engineering education researchers experience impostor phenomenon. Background: Experiencing impostor phenomenon includes a psychological discomfort experienced by some high-achieving individuals who, by the very virtue of being successful, mistakenly believe that they are fraudulent and faking their success. Impostor phenomenon has been studied more broadly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with little research specifically in engineering and computer science and none, to the author’s knowledge, in engineering education research. As an emerging discipline, some of the challenges in engineering education research include its poor connection with engineering teaching and learning, establishing multidisciplinary collaborations, and advancing global capacity. As a result of its poor connection with engineering fields, and being a new discipline, it is possible that engineering education researchers hold an identity that is different from engineering researchers. Some of them could be experiencing their training differently, struggling to find mentors from a similar background, and possibly feeling like impostors. Methodology: Using purposive sampling and snowball sampling, US-based engineering education researchers participated in a short survey and a semi-structured interview. The survey consisted of demographic questions, items of the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, and an open-ended question about an instance when participants experienced impostor phenomenon. Interviews examined, in detail, reasons for experiencing impostor phenomenon as engineering education researchers. The scale provided a measure of the intensity of impostor phenomenon. Interviews were analyzed inductively through constant comparison using a constructivist approach. Contribution: Findings indicate various axes of othering that made it difficult to develop a sense of belonging, especially for women, and contributed to impostor phenomenon. Othering occurred through identity-based experiences (gender-identity, engineer-identity), different methodologies used to conduct research, and different vocabulary used for academic communication. Findings: The sample comprised of eleven participants (PhD students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty), all of whom experienced high to intense impostor phenomenon (range: 61-91/100; mean 75.18). Participants were predominantly white women from twenties to forties. Interviews indicated two reasons for experiencing impostor phenomenon: (1) existing in a separate world from engineering (referring to cultural differences between engineering and engineering education including differences in communication styles, methodologies, and identities); and, (2) facing gendered experiences (for women). Recommendations for Practitioners: It is recommended that practitioners are mindful of the tensions between worldviews, commonly used methodologies, and demographic differences between engineering research and engineering education research that could shape one’s experience in the field and contribute to “othering” during doctoral training and thereafter. Recommendation for Researchers: Doctoral and post-doctoral training in engineering education research could be more inclusive and open to different research methodologies. Future studies deeply exploring various training challenges experienced by engineering education researchers could illuminate how the field could become more inclusive. Impact on Society: The current study provides a nuanced understanding of the dichotomy between engineering and engineering education research, including the different styles in academic communication, research methodologies used, and identities. It also provides an understanding of the gendered experiences women have in the field, pointing to an overt or covert lack of recognition. Both these factors could make some feel like outsiders or impostors who question themselves and doubt their competencies and belonging in the field. Attrition from the field could be costly, even to the society, at large, given that the field is relatively new, evolving, and not (yet) as diverse in its worldviews, methodologies, and the demography of those it attracts for doctoral training and beyond. The study provides evidence-based understanding of how training in engineering education researchers could be re-imagined. Future Research: Future research could examine, in detail, aspects of engineering education research training that may contribute to impostor phenomenon, poor belonging, poor identity, and othering experiences.

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“…The creation of the initial departments of engineering education enabled the development of individuals with expertise in engineering education research and the interest to prepare these researchers has grown. As of 2015, there were only four programs identified that had a PhD or Doctorate degree in Engineering Education based on the following departmental/program qualifications: (1) a degree offered by an engineering school or college, (2) had alumni, and (3) had been operating for at least five years [6]. Yet, over the past five years, there are many more up and coming doctoral-based programs that are currently in operation or under development [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

I Graduated, Now What? An Overview of the Academic Engineering Education Research Job Field and Search Process

McCave

Bodnar²,

Smith-Orr

et al.

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings

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after completing a postdoctoral/lecturer position split between the General Engineering program and the Engineering & Science Education Department and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Clemson University. Erin's research interests include preparing students for their sophomore year, minority student engineering identity development, and providing mentoring relationships to help foster student growth and success.

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Comparative Analysis of Ph.D. Programs in Engineering Education

Cited by 7 publications

References 1 publication

Training needs for a PhD programme in Engineering Education

Training needs for a PhD programme in Engineering Education

Impostor Phenomenon Among Engineering Education Researchers: An Exploratory Study

I Graduated, Now What? An Overview of the Academic Engineering Education Research Job Field and Search Process

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