Comparing grounded theory and phenomenology as methods to understand lived experience of engineering educators implementing problem-based learning

Abstract

Research in Engineering Education Symposium (REES). Shannon's teaching areas include architecture and urban design, introductory engineering, Building Information Modeling, environmental sustainability, and educational planning. Dr. Gavin Duffy is a faculty member in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Systems at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), where he has been teaching since 2002. He received a PhD in engineering education in 2017, with a study focused on the role of spatial ability in problem representation among engineering students. He is a member of TU Dublin's CREATE (Contributions to Research in Engineering and Applied Technology Education) research group. He has interest in epistemological development and on how engineering education research is conducted. Prior to joining TU Dublin, Gavin worked in engineering design consultancies as both a chemical engineer and control systems engineer. At DIT, he delivers modules on chemical technology, instrumentation, automation, and control engineering and has been using project-based learning since 2005. Prof. Brian Bowe is Head of Academic Affairs and Assistant Registrar at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin). He leads the research group called CREATE (for Contributions to Research in Engineering and Applied Technology Education) with more than 30 members. He has been active in STEM education research for over 20 years and led the development of this area in TU Dublin. In 2001, he established the Physics Education Research group that evolved between 2001 and 2008 to include education research in computer science, chemistry and engineering. In 2013, he established CREATE, which currently involves a diverse range of PhD research topics that he supervises, including studies of spatial skills development, ethics in STEM education, epistemological development, and the impact of pedagogy on minority students in STEM. Geolocation: Dublin: (capital city) 53° 20' N, 6° 16' W Comparing grounded theory and phenomenology as methods to understand lived experience of engineering educators implementing Problem-Based LearningGetting lecturers/professors to implement pedagogical innovations is a central focus of university managers/administrators today. Convincing teachers to change is notoriously hard. This research project investigated the shift in pedagogical approach among a small group of faculty as they replaced traditional lecture-based methods with Problem-Based Learning projects. Interviews were conducted with eight of the most active drivers of this change, around the research question: What was it like to be part of a learning group focused on tangible change toward student-centered learning? Objectives of this study were:(1) to understand how pedagogical changed happened in an electrical engineering programme at a post-secondary institution in Ireland; (2) to analyse data using two different research methods to distill as much meaning as possible; (3) to describe the process, results, and findings achieved using each method; and (4...

An argument for incorporating sociological approaches into phenomenological analyses in engineering education research

“…With regard the sample size, it is worth mentioning that this paper is framed as part of a broader project, initiated at Technological University Dublin in 2014, by Professor Shannon Chance with the support of Professor Brian Bowe [8], which currently has a longitudinal data set, comprised of 72 interviews, that represents a valuable resource for phenomenological analysis helpful to generate an understanding of the lived experiences of women who chose to study engineering.…”

“…Several researchers [2,6,8,9] have encouraged increased use of theoretical frameworks in engineering education scholarship to foster a professional field that is more inclusive and diverse. In this sense, it is relevant to develop conceptual approaches that address women's lived experiences in the male-dominated world of engineering [1,[7][8][9][10][11].…”

A conceptual construction management curriculum model grounded in scientometric analysis

“…Data obtained from the snowball sampling and scientometric analysis conducted revealed underlying patterns and new knowledge that formed the basis of a conceptual curriculum development model. Grounded theory is an established research strategy within built environment literature and has been used to: explore the lived experience of engineering educators implementing problem-based learning in the classroom (Chance et al, 2019); develop a maths-related critical thinking theory for civil engineering design practices (Osman et al, 2020); and develop a mitigation methods map framework for the agile-hybrid management of projects (Sithambaram et al, 2021).…”

Guest Editorial Special Issue on Using Enquiry- and Design-Based Learning to Spur Epistemological and Identity Development of Engineering Students

“…To learn such education-delivery techniques and skills, engineering teachers can band together and take a projectbased approach themselves, working together and consulting each other as they incrementally shift the way they facilitate leaning in specific content areas [25]. Co-teaching with others, particularly those with other ways of teaching, framing problems, and conceptualizing the world, can help.…”